The Simple Way Out

Last night, I was five thousand words into what I hoped would be a novella when I hit a wall.

It wasn’t that I had nowhere to go, it was that I had too many ideas, each more complex and horrific than the last, but none that really worked for the story.

A lot of creators get lost in the details, but it’s just as easy to disappear in the big picture.

I loved the story I was telling. I thought it was a unique small town horror, and that the antagonist was a brilliant villain. I wanted to do justice to his story, but I couldn’t find a way that fit.

It turned out, I was looking too big, trying to continue a story that had reached its end.

Tonight, I wrapped up the story in two thousand words, and I'm pretty sure it’s perfect. Yes, it’s a short story, not the epic I planned, but the ending to the villain’s story (and those of my other characters) is fitting and makes me happy.

The point I want you to take away from this is to think outside the box and look for the simple way out. Sometimes as writers, we don’t need grand schemes or complicated explanations.

A simple story told well is greater than an epic idea that just misses the mark.

That’s a principle most writers would do good to remember. When you’re in the middle of the story and the big picture is overwhelming you, look for the simple way out.

It will usually be the best way.