by Rachel D. Russell, @RDRussellWrites
As I laid out my opening chapter of my novel during a recent planning session with my mentor, she paused. Opened her mouth. Closed it. Thought for a moment. Then–
“There’s not enough pipe.”
Oh. “Not enough pipe? I was trying to get into the action.”
She gave a gentle, knowing nod. “You need more pipe.”
Thus, we launched into a discussion on the “pipe” of a story. Pipe being the opening the carries us into the lives of the characters. You know when you’re reading a story with too much pipe. Those are the ones where you, as the reader, are thinking, “Enough already—can we get on with the story?” You may even start flipping ahead several pages, or, worse, abandon the story altogether.
It’s a common error for new writers to build in a lot of pipe. There’s an inclination to over-share every detail of the character’s past. Vast pages of backstory.
I, on the other hand, had developed the opposite problem—possibly taking too literally the instruction to start “in the middle of the action.”
You know, let’s get to the good stuff. Like, when the hero and heroine meet. As a romance reader, that’s the good stuff, right?
Sort of.
The problem is that if we have too little pipe, the reader may not understand enough about who the character is before we send him or her on their journey.
If the reader doesn’t understand the character, then the reader will not care about the character.
And we read stories—are compelled to turn the pages—because we care.
The first part of a story is known as “life.” This is the pipe. This is where we see the characters as they are. We get a glimpse of what their everyday world looks like. Just a glimpse—not a detailed diary. A glimpse. And this snapshot is critical to developing the story and revealing to the reader who each character is as he or she walks onto the page.
So, what is the right length of pipe?
That depends.
It can get particularly tricky when you’re writing a shorter length novel or novella—you’ve got to tell that whole story within a reduced span of pages.
What you don’t want to do?
Shortchange the reader.
As I released my vision of how this novel opened and began untwisting, unwinding it a bit, I understood more of what she was saying. It wasn’t that I had to move my meet cute several scenes in, but how could I have the same effect while building in just a bit more pipe? A little more foundation that didn’t detract from the fun of the scene, didn’t drag down the pace of the story—but put a little more reader-skin into the game?
It didn’t take much to finesse the scene and more reader connection to the character. Remember—the pipe isn’t an information dump or backstory prologue. It’s about including details, dialogue, and actions that reveal who the character is.
So, how do you decide how much “pipe” you need in your story? You may need to ask someone else to read your opening scene to help you decide because we, as the author, may be just a little too close to the story to know.
Just make sure the reader is someone who understands story structure and will be honest with you, even if it hurts a little.
Where do you fall in your writing? Do you lean towards too much pipe or too little?
He’s in Deep Haven to relax.
Detective Daniel “Boone” Buckam is more than burned out. After fourteen stellar years on the job, one bad judgment call—and, fine, a whole lot of cynicism—has forced him into a mandatory vacation. If he can get his head on straight, there’s a job as Police Chief waiting for him back in his Minneapolis suburb.
But then he meets Vivien.
Actress Vivien Calhoun isn’t really a drama queen. Sure, she gets swept up in the emotions of life—but please, she’s an actress. Or, um, was until a stalker made her flee the bright lights of Broadway. Now, she’s passionate about directing her local theater production. But when she accidentally ropes an uptight police detective on vacation into her cast, she can’t help but wonder if he might be the leading man she’s always longed for.
Of course, she’s in trouble.
Boone can’t help but like Vivien. He might even have a type—vivacious and bubbly, with a penchant for attracting danger. He can smell trouble even if she can’t, and is pretty sure her stalker has hunted her all the way to Deep Haven. He’ll have to stay by her side—even if it means being in her silly play—to keep her safe. But Vivien is more than he expected as she helps him discover a part of him he’s locked away…the part that said he could never love again.
So much for relaxing.
Rachel D. Russell writes contemporary inspirational romance focused on forgiveness, redemption, and grace. She’s a member of Oregon Christian Writers, American Christian Fiction Writers, and My Book Therapy’s Novel Academy. Her debut novel, Still the One, released in January 2021. Her second novel, Then Came You, released in July 2021. Both novels are part of the Deep Haven Collection with Sunrise Publishing. When Rachel’s not cantering her horse down the Oregon beaches, she’s probably interrogating her husband on his own military and law enforcement experience to craft believable heroes in uniform. The rest of her time is spent enjoying her active family, including two teens and three keyboard-hogging cats. You can catch up with her at RachelDRussell.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.