In a post on the Pub Rants blog, Angie Hodapp says you should never let the truth get in the way of a good story. While this adage is usually meant humorously, Hodapp says it has some utility for fiction writers. “I’ve read many a manuscript in which the author has become so bogged down in truth that they forget they’re telling a story,” she says.
While is can happen to anyone, this pitfall is common in historical fiction, because the author feels obligated both to share their research and stick to historical facts. Unfortunately, this information often bogs down the story itself. “I’m sure the impetus is to establish both an authentic setting and narrative credibility,” Hodapp says. “Good things to establish. But if the reader isn’t immediately pulled into the story by character, concept, and conflict, then no amount of careful research or meticulously described setting in the world will make the novel successful.”
Writers wallpaper their early chapters with details that don’t move the story, such as what characters are eating, wearing, and listening to, and sometimes a string of unconnected current events. Hodapp says none of those details matter unless the food is poisoned, the clothing has a secret pocket, or current events trigger the protagonist’s story. Not every detail is wallpaper, of course, but the more you use, the more they blur together and overwhelm your narrative.
Hodapp also suggests that details are only wallpaper if they appear only in the opening chapter and never again. “Does this mean you can’t open with food, clothing, dialect-laden dialogue, music, or references to current events?” Hodapp asks. “No. But avoid overseasoning your dish. Too much too soon hits the palate too hard.”
