When you know you fucked a minor plot point up and it bugs you.

Discussion in 'Authors' Hangout' started by RicoLouis, Oct 29, 2020.

  1. RicoLouis

    RicoLouis Really Really Experienced

    I always love when I write something and then add a little more and then realize you messed something up even if it is a tiny little thing. My latest one was I had the character eating some grapes while reading a book. Catch is I said several times in the story it was the start of spring after a long winter so there shouldn't be fresh grapes since its in a middle age setting. Most readers would never think about it but I realized it.
     
  2. catfish27

    catfish27 Really Experienced

    There weren't a lot of books available for reading during the Middle Ages, either -- at least in our reality, where the printing press wasn't invented until near the end of that period.

    This is why I like setting stories in modern times -- I don't have to worry about whether or not it's possible to have a character eating Doritos while reading "The Da Vinci Code" on their iPad. (I just have to worry about whether or not the combination of junk food and junk literature is a good idea.)
     
  3. MidbossMan

    MidbossMan Really Really Experienced

    I had a character in my mostly medieval fantasy story comedically say "did anyone get the number on that carriage" when they got beaten up and I didn't think about it until later.

    You know, the carriage license plate!
     
  4. insertnamehere

    insertnamehere Really Really Experienced

    In the Lord's Companion, I accidentally keep referring to Alluse as 'she' or 'he' in my drafts. At least it's good to know that I, too, am confused about my own character's gender. I just hope none of those errors have made it to publication.

    I also noticed somewhat recently that I misspelt Genver's name in chapter 7, which is odd because that's the first time she's mentioned, and I spelt it wrong several times in the one chapter. Good thing she isn't mentioned again for another dozen chapters or so, but I've fixed the problem now.

    In Darkest Challenges, I completely ignore the character's Bag of Holding where she stores all of her items and gear. There are countless scenes where it should be strapped to her armour or in her hands or something, but I just pretend it's not there until it needs to be. I can't remember why I chose to do this, but it's done. The entire premise of the story depends on the reader not noticing this detail. Please don't tell anyone.


    EDIT: Also, I just noticed that this thread appears in the sidebar as, "When you know you fucked a minor..."
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2020
  5. Conan The Librarian

    Conan The Librarian Really Experienced

    If it doesn't have one you should report it to your local medieval police.
     
  6. RicoLouis

    RicoLouis Really Really Experienced

     
  7. catfish27

    catfish27 Really Experienced

    When you know you fucked a minor deity: you wake up to find that you're slightly more refreshed than usual, and you've somehow become slightly more attractive... and there's a deity-shaped hole in your roof from where they flew away.
     
  8. Sune's Kiss

    Sune's Kiss Really Experienced

    Instead of grapes, they could always be magic berries...
     
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  9. brevdravis

    brevdravis Really Really Experienced

    Ah the art of handwaving!

    The easy, all purpose continuity quicker fixer upper!
    When in doubt follow the simple basic rules.

    1. Is there "Magic" in this story? Whenever you notice something like that...

    2. Is there any technology that you can't understand in this story? See rule one, and replace wizard with "Scientist".
    3, The power of the "Rewrite" ability. If Rule one and two don't work, and the error doesn't make much of difference to the story change it. Adding a simple word or two is sometimes enough. Like "Dried"... which would make them raisins... and allows you to put in a cool musical number in the background. Now the guy not only has a rare delicacy, he also has music, making him much more opulent in wealth that he has musicians on call at all times.

    4. If it's a major plot point... and it really bugs you... give the guy a long convoluted story involving a volcanic soil/north sea drift which allows you to make up a whole movie based off how they get crops when they SHOULDN'T and clearly this is a sign of witchcraft... You CAN make it work... but it will require a lot more work than any of the above methods.


    At least that's my general process if something's REALLY bugging me.
     
  10. Greyrock

    Greyrock Really Experienced

    I’m not what you’d call an “organized” person. I’ve never met a to-do list that I could’t foil by only adding to it and never consulting later. Writing a long story is slowly proving to me time and time again that, when I add to a character description, throw in some world building, or add a game mode variable, it is worth logging into a spreadsheet.

    It isn’t easy picking through hundreds of CHYOA chapters trying to find the one that I think I offhandedly named a side character already, but... did I? Did I describe pubic hair?? Did that scene even happen in this thread???

    Most commonly my mistakes have involved tenses and pov since I’d never written 1st person present tense and my brain kept reverting when I wasn’t actively thinking about it.
     
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  11. Gambio

    Gambio CHYOA Guru

    Luckily my story involves an unreliable narrator, so i blame any mistake on him

    But seriously if its a minor thing i would probably just edit it.
     
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  12. Deadedge

    Deadedge Experienced

    That is honestly one of the things I always need to put down in my separate character descriptions otherwise every scene featuring their genitals will have this fuzzy (or not) question mark hanging over it.