Writing Tips We Can All Learn From TV Dramas (Part 2)

Be sure to check out Part 1, if you haven't already.

2. When it comes to plot, stick to your guns

It was originally part of the FLASHFORWARD season one storyline that FBI agent Demetri Noh be killed off, as foretold by his “blank” flashforward. But per popular fan demand, they changed up the writing to include his character, the side effect being not only an altered, but a weakened, storyline.

Flashbacks can be a risky writing tool because they have to be done just right, but THE VAMPIRE DIARIES pulls it off flawlessly. They enhance rather than detract from the story happening in real-time, and serve to carry out the plot in ways that couldn’t be done otherwise.

Plot can be a tricky thing for most writers, but especially when writing a story with complex or intense twists. And whether you make studious outlines or just wing it, the worst thing you can do with plot is talk yourself out of something big. If your writer’s instinct calls for something “out there” or tells you to kill of a character, don’t back down. Don’t talk yourself out of it. It just might be what your story really needs to be great.

Make sure you come back next week for another tip in Part 3!
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Photo Credit: marvin L