How "Tight" Do You Like Your Story?

[Ankari]

I had an idea, inspired by a post on these forums some time ago, to add a scene in my WIP that gives more depth to the world. It doesn't have too much to do the with story, but it does add mystery to the world of the story as well as give a supporting character a little more depth.

If you came across such a scene and found out that it doesn't add to the main story, would you get frustrated? Or would you send an email to the author asking him/her to explain what that scene meant and why s/he decided to ruin your day for leaving such an open-ended mystery to be mulled over by your over-curious mind?

There is a difference between the two. One is negative (the first) while the other is positive.

[Phil the Drill]

I hate to be the "it depends" guy, but "it depends." If someone writes a scene such as that and does it well, then I don't really care. I would possibly wonder why the writer suddenly decided to do that in the middle of the story. Depending on how long it is, and if it's interesting, then it may be a deciding factor in putting the book down. If I'm really into a story and then it just suddenly sidetracks, then yeah, I might be frustrated. I wouldn't send emails just because I'm not the "send emails" guy. I'd assume the writer had a reason for it and leave it at that.

[ThinkerX]

Hmmm...

As I understand it, you are writing a multi-volume epic - and are still on volume 1.

Therefor, just because the scene is not directly relevant to volume 1, does not mean it might not be of some import come volumes 2 or 3. A sort of 'fore shadowing'.

Depending on just what happens and what the info revealed is, it might shed insight into why your world is the way it is now - explain why certain characters or cultures do certain things.

[Ankari]

Hmmm...

As I understand it, you are writing a multi-volume epic - and are still on volume 1.

Therefor, just because the scene is not directly relevant to volume 1, does not mean it might not be of some import come volumes 2 or 3. A sort of 'fore shadowing'.

Depending on just what happens and what the info revealed is, it might shed insight into why your world is the way it is now - explain why certain characters or cultures do certain things.

Or make the reader wonder why one race appears more in-tuned with the land, more knowledgeable and the other race is ignorant.

That is what the scene does.

[Reaver]

I hate to be the "it depends" guy, but "it depends."

Phil's a great guy and a phenomenal writer, but don't let that fool you. He LOVES to be the "it depends" guy.

[T.Allen.Smith]

It depends (yeah I said it too).

If you pay it off later, I'll love it. If its never touched on again, or left hanging, it'll bother me because it will feel unorganized.

[The Din]

I like my stories like my women, so what the hell, throw it in... I think if you add a scene like that, you should tie it off so the reader isn't waiting to come back to it. Simplest way is to kill off those involved, though you could give them a happy ending too.

I like it when a random scene actually leads to another in a latter book of the series, it gives the sense that the author actually has a plan of where they're going.

[Benjamin Clayborne]

If a scene isn't at least one of:

* funny
* relevant to the plot or character development
* beautifully written

then it's going to piss me off.