I'm not sure where the problem lies in some of my more recent work but I do know that I think it sounds choppy. I feel like the character development is reasonably good and I think that the plot is continuous but I also have this feeling that the "scenes" are too short. I think that I have given all pertinent information but still the different events that take place seem brief. If there is anyone who has had similar problems with the flow of their work, I would appreciate their suggestions. If you need to see an example then don't hesitate. (I just don't know the most appropriate way to display it, e.g. whether I should post it in the novel excerpt section or not.) Suggestions greatly appreciated. LBK
When i was younger i had alot of problems like that, it seemed like my work was more of an episodic sitcom than a piece of literature. I found that a couple things that helped was expanding my weaving (narrative, dialogue, and action), and also having like anchoring points; meaning where chapter one ends have chapter two beginning have something to do with how chapter one ended. Also have you ever read the book, Of Mice in Men, the author did a great job at having very circular chapters that seemed to link very well together. Hope it helps.
Like ABMiller86 said, try weaving your story together with narrative, dialogue, and action. I think one of the reasons something sounds choppy is because the paragraphs are kind of disconnected. Disconnected as in - don't have much to do with each other. Personally, it would help if you posted a part of it. I think it would go in the novel section.
Yes, it sounds more like a problem with structure (sentence or paragraph) than plot. It's probably too specific to your writing to be discussed in abstract terms in Writing Issues. One thing I would suggest is to try to match the sentence to the natural pace of the story. If everything is happening quickly in the story (high action), short, choppy sentences are often the best choice. But if the characters are at rest, or waiting for something to occur, there is time to look around. That's a good time for rich description, thoughtful dialogue, and the occasional compound sentence.
