tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32600817.post115942427868074941..comments2019-11-27T18:31:28.430-08:00Comments on Dear Dead Beat - a Literary Agony Column: This Particular Death - The Difference Between Story and PlotGerard Beirnehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13946921909742909463noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32600817.post-1159457155385456032006-09-28T08:25:00.000-07:002006-09-28T08:25:00.000-07:00I may have a problem, but I'm not sure. I enjoy re...I may have a problem, but I'm not sure. I enjoy reading stories that say a lot in very few words, and often leave things out purposely in order to engage the reader's imagination. I like my reading to challenge me as well as entertain, and I try to write stories in the same way. This often translates into cutting. It's common for a 3000 word draft to finish at 1200 words by the time I'm ready to publish. What may or may not be a problem is that some people who read my stories don't understand what happened. Of course, some people do understand, but not as many people as might have if the story had stayed around 3000 words. A lot of writing instructors I've studied with are quick to slap my hand when I say some readers just don't get the story and remind me that it's not the reader's responsibility to bring clarity to a story, but mine. When does this become a concern for the writer? Should one purposely craft their stories to satisfy the larger audience? Or will some readers just not get it and that's okay?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com