Fiction as a Series of Coincidences
In the latest Glimmer Train bulletin, there is a lovely piece by Susann Cokal (pictured above), “On Coincidence and What Was Meant to Be.” Here’s a snippet: Fiction is a…
In the latest Glimmer Train bulletin, there is a lovely piece by
Susann Cokal (pictured above), "On Coincidence
and What Was Meant to Be." Here's a snippet:
Fiction is a series of such coincidences. What would
ordinarily happen in between events falls away, so what we are left with
is the well-organized form of a plot. Coincidence creates order within
the chaos of our cluttered world and unpredictable lives; it establishes
a sense of importance, that some things are Meant To Be.
But
coincidences require some finessing. The storyteller's art lies in
casting shadow and light over them so the plot doesn't feel contrived.
Go
read the full piece—or go view
the entire contents of the bulletin.
Jane Friedman is a full-time entrepreneur (since 2014) and has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. She is the co-founder of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest. In addition to being a columnist with Publishers Weekly and a professor with The Great Courses, Jane maintains an award-winning blog for writers at JaneFriedman.com. Jane’s newest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press, 2018).
