October Review Challenge - 31 days of reflecting on stuff I've written

For the month of October, I'm going to be doing a challenge where I look over my body of writing work and review what I've done and accomplished.

For reach day of the month, I'm going to respond to one of these prompts (which I have devised and put into alphabetical order to randomize them a bit) and describe an example that fits from my work.

I like the idea of this, as I think it will be fun, and cause me to be a bit self-reflective about my art. Anyone else who wants to join in, feel free, and tag me so I can see what you post.



My list is as follows:

1. Best planting and payoff
2. Best use of reference
3. Evidence of influences
4. Frequently occurring motif
5. Frequently occurring theme
6. Funny line
7. Humorous moment
8. Moment most ahead of its time
9. Moment that was difficult to write
10. Moment that was easy to write
11. Most personal moment
12. Most sympathetic villainy
13. Old shame
14. Piece you feel got slept on
15. Poetic line
16. Preferred genre
17. Romantic line
18. Romantic moment
19. Side character who turned out special
20. Skill in which you’ve grown
21. Something that turned out differently than you planned
22. Something to go back and reedit
23. Special talent as a writer
24. Tiny detail you really like
25. Trick you’re proud you pulled off
26. Unexpected response to your work
27. Unfinished work you’d like to finish
28. Weakness you’d like to improve
29. Weirdest moment
30. Wham line
31. Work about which your attitude changed

October Review Challenge, #1 - Best planting and payoff

October Review Challenge, #1 - "What is the best example of planting and payoff in your work?"

People often shorthand this to Chekhov's Gun. This is actually an erroneous identification, which as a pedantic English professor I feel compelled to note. Chekhov was actually referring to the Law of Conservation of Detail, "include no information that has no payoff," rather than "every payoff has to have a setup." But it's very important to properly lay the groundwork early on for events that will occur later, especially the ones at climactic moments. I write a lot of things that have capers and mystery in them, so it's frequently necessary for me and Bernie, my usual collaborator, to plot things out with a lot of care so that the unfolding makes sense. Planting and payoff is a crucial part of that process.

SPOILER WARNING: Mrs. Hawking VI: FALLEN WOMEN


Photo by Daniel Fox

( #1 - Best planting and payoff )