Craft
Suspense and Love
| with a Dash of Faith |
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| © 2008-2011 website maintained by Tina Joyce |
Putting the Cart before the Horse
We've all heard that old expression: Don’t put the cart before the horse.
It’s not that I don’t believe that sage piece of wisdom is valid. Hmmm...then again, some people just
have to learn the hard way. People like me.
So, in the spirit of questioning authority (nothing new for me), I've been wondering, “Why not?” Are
there times when it’s perfectly acceptable to put the cart before the horse? Maybe.
To test my hypothesis, I've been playing around with hooks. No, not the fishing kind. Even I’m not
that stupid. I’m talking about the hooks that come at the ends of chapters. I've been writing them like
crazy, one after another...before I have anything else on the page:
Have any idea what’s going on? No? Join the crowd.
Anyway, here’s my theory. Ending hooks can provide a skeleton for each chapter, a type of
framework on which to hang the rest of the plot. Using my outline as a guide, I surmise where the
dramatic stops might occur and...voilà, chapter hooks.
Will it work? Will it make writing this particular manuscript any less painful? Somehow, I doubt it.
But before I let the horse have his way and jump to the front of the line, I want to give the cart one
last chance to prove his worth. Wish me luck. I may very well need it.
We've all heard that old expression: Don’t put the cart before the horse.
It’s not that I don’t believe that sage piece of wisdom is valid. Hmmm...then again, some people just
have to learn the hard way. People like me.
So, in the spirit of questioning authority (nothing new for me), I've been wondering, “Why not?” Are
there times when it’s perfectly acceptable to put the cart before the horse? Maybe.
To test my hypothesis, I've been playing around with hooks. No, not the fishing kind. Even I’m not
that stupid. I’m talking about the hooks that come at the ends of chapters. I've been writing them like
crazy, one after another...before I have anything else on the page:
- Chapter One: Jake’s glance swung toward the only important thing in the room. The bed.
It was empty.
- Chapter Two: His hand gripped hers. “Before the police get here, I think you should know.
The head is gone.”
- Chapter Three: Nikki swallowed. She’d felt that same horrible sensation less than an hour
earlier. She knew what it signaled. And why.
Have any idea what’s going on? No? Join the crowd.
Anyway, here’s my theory. Ending hooks can provide a skeleton for each chapter, a type of
framework on which to hang the rest of the plot. Using my outline as a guide, I surmise where the
dramatic stops might occur and...voilà, chapter hooks.
Will it work? Will it make writing this particular manuscript any less painful? Somehow, I doubt it.
But before I let the horse have his way and jump to the front of the line, I want to give the cart one
last chance to prove his worth. Wish me luck. I may very well need it.
