However, I have an idea about constructing stories that I call the \u201cascending pearls theory.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because of how we read, the first scene starts the reader from scratch: all info is new. The next scene, even though it presents additional information, carries with it the info from the first scene. The knowledge accretes for the reader, just like a pearl that starts with a grain of sand and then coats it over and over until a pearl is built from the layers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knowing that as I write is a powerful tool. Each new scene pulls on that background to create increasing complexity and nuance. The weight of the story is carried in the accumulated mass of story material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So I don\u2019t have to have a plot in mind, necessarily. The information is making connections and building a path organically. Eventually a culmination of the combined dynamic of knowing what the characters want, the actions that they take or the world takes that impact their progress toward their goal, and the tension that creates, take me to a final moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After that, a story is like that old model of how the world balances on the back of a turtle. \u201cYeah, but what\u2019s under that turtle?\u201d a skeptical audience member asks. \u201cIt\u2019s turtles all the way down,\u201d is the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The climax rests on the back of the second to last scene. What\u2019s under that? It\u2019s scenes all the way down. The advantage of writing this way for this story is I really worked on making each scene a whole and interesting moment. I didn\u2019t have any skip-through-this-because-I-want-to-get-to-the-end writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The disadvantage was that I slowed down. I couldn\u2019t write the story this way by sketching my way to an end. There were days in between scenes while I decided what would be most interesting to tackle next. Despite the slow progress, I\u2019m very happy with the result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have a rough draft of a writing book I started for Fairwood Press from years ago that is tentatively titled, PLOT AS METAPHOR. You can see I’ve used some metaphors here. It’s the only way I have for talking about the inexplicable workings of creating a story for me. I suspect other teachers\/writers face the same challenge when describing how story happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve always liked this quote from Joseph Conrad. I think he was talking about writing. It’s from HEART OF DARKNESS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNo, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one\u2019s existence–that which makes its truth, its meaning–its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dream–alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I reported a couple days ago that Asimov’s bought a story from me. If I count an early story in Analog that was reprinted in the Greek edition of Asimov\u2019s (and I do), that\u2019s my 20th appearance in the magazine since 1997. I tried a different technique in composing the story. I knew my characters, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[18,12,9,7,10],"class_list":["post-701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-asimovs","tag-craft","tag-short-stories","tag-writing","tag-writing-advice"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=701"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":703,"href":"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/701\/revisions\/703"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/jamesvanpelt.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/image.png\")
<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"