An Easy Tip for Tightening Your Novel’s Plot

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

A loose plot can easily unravel, but tying up the threads strengthens the entire novel.

One of my favorite things when writing is when I make an accidental connection that fits so well it looks like I’d planned it all along. It’s my subconscious working in the background.

One day, it dawned on me that I didn’t have to wait for my inner writer to clue me in—I could consciously look for those connections.

Once I started looking, I found multiple “hidden connections” per book that deepened the plot and made it more unpredictable. The obvious characters became red herrings for the more subtle characters lurking in the background doing “plot things” and making the story work.

Plus, it’s a ton of fun.

How to Fill Plot Holes in Your Novel

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Part of the Your Writing Questions Answered Series

Q: I’m struggling with filling in the holes in my story. Once I figure out how to make believable connections with the areas I’ve already written I’ll have completed my first draft. I'm so close! Brainstorming tricks/advice for situations like this would be appreciated.

A: I’m sure there are writers out there who manage to get through a first draft with no holes, but I think most of us discover a gap or two after the first draft is done.

Often, an idea hits us during a first draft and we run with it without thinking about how it fits into the larger plot. We write what we want to have happen at that moment, but the why and the how the protagonist gets there never makes it into the story. Everything feels like it’s working, until we step back and look at the plot as a whole and realize there’s a huge gap in logic or plausibility.

Back Fill Those Plot Holes

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Whenever you deal with something as complex as a novel plot, there are bound to be some holes here and there. They're not critical flaws, but if left undressed, they could put readers off or make the story feel contrived.

One of the more common plot holes is to have a scene where your characters are doing what they need to do for the plot to unfold, but the reasons might be weak or non-existent, and you want to find a way to make it all seem logical. Often you can change a detail in a previous scene so that a later scene makes sense.

Things to Look for to Back Fill Your Plot: