Writing Excuses Writing Excuses 8.24: Project in Depth–Kiss Me Twice
Jun 16, 2013
The hosts discuss the evolution of the Hugo-nominated novella 'Kiss Me Twice' and the challenges faced when cutting down the story. They explore the role of AI and jealousy, the plotting of a caper, and the influence of alternate history and superheroes in Adam Christopher's 'Empire State'. They also delve into the potential of a new meta and its character arc, highlighting the idea of tension and survival.
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Origin As A Freewrite
- Mary started freewriting a scene of Detective Scott Huang seeing an AI Meta dressed as Mae West and intended a murder mystery.
- She originally expanded it into a 60,000-word novel during NaNoWriMo before later cutting it down to a novella.
Cut To Tighten The Plot
- When cutting length, remove POVs and peripheral subplots to tighten the narrative quickly.
- Axe characters who don't serve the core plot and repurpose survivors to cover missing functions.
Villain-First Plot Simplification
- Plot clarity often comes from asking what the villain would realistically do to avoid detection.
- Simplifying conspiracy layers reduces failure modes and makes the caper believable.