Necessary Content

Something that I don't hear all the time under the topic of writerly advice is: necessary content.

What is necessary content? When it was first brought to my attention a couple years ago on another blog, I thought it was the worst thing someone ever said. Basically, all the information included in a book must be necessary to the plot. It must advance or add to the book in some way, or it is unhelpful, distracting, and...well, unnecessary.

I'm still not sure why this went against my 'inner pattern' so much. I guess, because I love my characters, I was shocked that I couldn't include every single little detail about what ever happened to them in my book. I didn't want a comprehensible plot, I wanted a real life for my characters!

However, I'm sorry to say that there is indeed a difference between real life and books. In real life, there are a whole bunch of little side plots that are completely isolated from each other. Thousands of people (characters, analogically speaking) live life without ever meeting the other thousands of people that make up the big book of life. Books, on the other hand, are not real life. They should have one big plot, a couple little ones that will eventually tie into the big plot, and enough characters to make things happen. But nothing more.

Look at a really good book. Say, "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket. In the beginning, he constantly mentions that one of his characters is right handed. In the beginning, yes, it might seem like an unnecessary detail, but by the end of the book it turns out the character's being right handed is crucial to the entire plot.

When you write, if you are considering possibly pursuing publication, it's really important to take 'necessary content' into account. If you include a side-track that is completely unrelated to the larger plot, it's just going to add confusion and seem like the book isn't as well-made as it could have been. Of course, if you're simply writing because you want to, then you can add as many side-tracks and unrelated details as you want.

If you're trying to decide if something is 'necessary content', ask yourself these questions to help:

1. First off, is it a side-plot or a detail? A side-plot is a miniature plot, complete with rising action, climax, and resolution. A detail is more like a fact--like the right handedness in "The Bad Beginning", which I used earlier as an example.
   
2. Does it relate to the over-arching plot? Will it eventually all tie in to the big picture, or will it remain something unconnected? With a side-plot, if it won't or can't add to the over-arching plot, you should probably get rid of it or find a way to make it a necessary part of the book. With details, there's a bit more lax. Many times, details might not necessary advance the plot but they do add strength to your characters. In that case...
3. Do you have an exact reason to why you wrote it? If it's purposeless, your audience will find it pretty distracting. With a side-plot, the reason pretty much has to be "because it advances the plot". A detail, like I said, has a bit more leeway. It can be "because it strengthens or adds dimension to my character". Honestly, saying your character has brown hair might not be necessary to the plot, but it sure is nice to get a clear picture.
   

The reason why I'm talking about this is because I'm discovering it for myself. Recently, I've picked up writing again, and I've actually noticed something about myself. When I'm not writing 'necessary content', I can sense it and I'll feel slightly aimless. It's my main cause of writer's block, actually, and now that I've identified it my writing is so much smoother! If you've been suffering from an aimless feeling while writing, try seeing if you have my problem too. Hopefully, this will help! =)

Yours without wax,

Izori