Plot Problems – Episodic Writing

The rejection letter says: “Its story, on the surface, seems to be well told and has engaging characters. However, the writing is episodic; the story lacks direction.”

you frown huh? Does the story lack direction? How could I? Your main character is in a search; How much more of an address could you have than that?

Clearly, this editor doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Oh good. All types needed… you package your manuscript and send it to the next editor.

Six rejections later, you’re feeling more than a little upset. This is a good story; everyone in her writing group says so. His writing style is smooth and accomplished (some editors have even said so).

So why the hell do they keep rejecting it? It has something to do with the plot; that’s clear. But what?

If you are lucky enough to receive feedback, look for clues in the comments that have been made. The moment you see the word ‘episodic’, that’s the biggest and best clue you could have. Not all publishers will use this term. They might say things like “what is the question in the story?” or ‘the character does not have a clear goal’ or ‘there is no character growth’. All of these things may indicate that your story is episodic.

1. What does “episodic” mean?

If someone tells you that your story is ‘episodic’, they mean that your story is a series of episodes, or events, that are loosely linked together. “Events” pop up one after another as a way to entertain the reader, but there is little character growth between one episode and the next. Nor can we easily see how one event arises from the previous one.

Some examples of how a story can be episodic:

(a) The “Little Tommy has never had such an exciting day!” theme:

FIRST: A child starts out in a normal/boring situation. Then something happens that changes things. (A child can find a door to a magical kingdom, go on a balloon ride, stay at grandparents’ farm, etc.)

SECOND: Child sees a number of amazing sights/participates in various fun activities/experiences various hair-raising incidents.

THIRD: The boy says, “What a beautiful day I’ve had. I’ll keep this fairy land a secret, but I’ll keep coming back to have more fun with my new friends!” (Or: “Ugh. I’m glad it’s over. I’m so happy to be back home!”)

What’s wrong with this? There is not stallion. Just a bunch of ‘stuff’ happening to fill in time.

(b) The “fantasy trap”

FIRST: The main character is drawn to a different world or discovers that he/she is ‘the chosen one’.

SECOND: This character is presented with a ‘quest’ to prove himself worthy to take up the mantle of the Chosen One. (He might have to free a character/being from an enchantment or imprisonment, OR learn to use magic that is buried deep inside, OR correct a big mistake, etc., etc.)

THIRD: The character begins his search. Along the way he faces one challenge after another (Fantastic Menacing Creature #1, the Mesmerizing Flower Field, the Terrible Sucking Swamp, the Shapeshifter, Fantastic Menacing Creature #2, the Dark and Deadly Forest, the Terrible Abyss, the Mountain of Dolores, Menacing Fantastic Creature #3 and so on…)

FOUR: The character overcomes each obstacle in turn. He eventually frees the imprisoned Queen or finds the Sword of Destiny or whatever. He saves the earth from annihilation or closes the gate between two worlds and keeps evil at bay for another 1000 years.

Yawn. Finish another clichéd fantasy novel.

Now, before you start indignantly pointing out the many classic (and popular) fantasy novels that fit the above formula, let me point out why some books work and others don’t (even though they seem to have the same “ingredients”). This applies to any genre.

1. Character is more reactive than proactive.

In other words, the book is stumbled from one obstacle to another, reacting to whatever comes up. He doesn’t sit down and formulate a clear plan of action. Very often, other characters guide the outcome.

2. There is no history question.

The ‘story question’ is the question that arises in the reader’s mind at the beginning of the story: “Will the boy get the girl?”; “Will Mary manage to take over the company?”; “Will Xanor take his rightful place as Head of the Galaxy Aliens Committee?”; “Will Laura track down the serial killer before she becomes the next victim?”; “How will Toby find his way back from the Land of the Giants?” and so.

You can see why the ‘Little Tommy’s Exciting Day’ type of story isn’t successful. Tommy doesn’t set out to do anything or solve a problem (other than being bored), and he doesn’t face any challenges along the way. Things just happen.

Any book needs to answer the question of history, but it needs to be more than a simple yes or no. It should show HOW the main character achieved her goal, and it should show how the character grows and changes as he pursues her goal. You need to have a plan of action. Inevitably, he will have to adapt to the circumstances, but with each new obstacle, the main character must (1) react; (2) evaluate the plan and make any necessary changes, THEN (3) move on. In most episodic stories, the character just reacts and then moves on to the next obstacle WITHOUT making any further plans. Very often, the older/wiser/stronger supporting characters will decide the next step for him. It is not a good idea! This gives you a weak main character.

3. The reactive character does not operate from its strengths.

He magically finds new abilities when he needs them, instead of possessing them beforehand. He overcomes every obstacle by luck, someone else’s intervention, or an amazing new talent that surprises him.

2. What you can do to save an episodic story

1. Give your character a goal. for example, “Maria is forced to leave her son behind. She is determined to come back for him.” Then start the action plan. (Maria’s first step is…? What future action does she plan?)
2. Give your character significant strengths and some weaknesses. These strengths and weaknesses will determine your plan of attack and ultimately reveal the flaws in that plan.
3. Decide the obstacles that the character will encounter on his way to the goal.
4. Decide how your character will react to these obstacles and how this will affect his plan of action. His reaction must be governed by his strengths and weaknesses, as well as the circumstances. She will overcome obstacles, get around them or turn them into opportunities. Each setback will require a new plan of attack. Each win will determine the next step. Other people can help, but make sure your protagonist makes the most of the significant breakthroughs.
5. Review each scene to make sure it moves the story forward. How will the scene affect character growth and the end result? Are you getting closer to achieving your goal? Have you earned your success? How does each scene relate to the opening question of the story?
6. Make sure each scene flows logically from the previous one.

If you can see that your story IS episodic, then take the time to figure out exactly what you need. You might be able to fix the plot with minimal rewrites, but that’s unlikely. By having your main character make more decisions, you could easily discover that she would have chosen a different direction. That’s probably a good thing…you’ve discovered that you’ve been more of a puppeteer than a wise author who lets his characters learn from his mistakes.

Grit your teeth and get to work. After you’ve diagnosed an episodic plot and then operated on it, you’ll be a much better writer.

(c) copyright Marg McAlister