Let the punches land

Have you ever pulled punches in a plot? In other words, when it came time to kill someone, you let them live. Or when it came time to find out someone was a villain, you chose someone else? Or if the plot seemed to veer in a dark direction, you pulled back?

by Dietrich

There’s no blueprint for my plots. I wing it and let the story develop as I roll with an idea and go by what feels right. Nothing’s set in stone, especially in a first draft. Fresh ideas and new direction pop up and want to be considered, and when something lands that’s better than what I started with, then I’ll go in that direction. So, I’m often making a choice that feels like I’m at a pivotal moment or a crossroads between keeping the momentum going or pulling back. 

"Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down.” That’s how Ray Bradbury put it. 

I’ve learned to trust my instincts, and that’s what tells me when I’m dwelling too long on an emotional beat and the pace is dragging, or when a chapter feels like it’s in overdrive with non-stop action and there’s a need for some breathing room. Navigating through a scene, I try to stay aware of when to let the full weight land or when to pull back to maximize a scene. And in pulling back, care needs to be taken to keep the scene from lacking honesty and coming off as soppy. A lack of consequence can deflate the tension, and I want the reader to feel the highs and lows alongside my characters. I sure don’t want them to feel cheated or to yawn because I’ve watered down a scene. It’s about keeping tonal consistency.

Having said that, there are times when I might hold back something to keep a scene light-hearted, or if I want to build up for some upcoming suspense. And often the best way to handle a heavy moment is by implication rather than by splashing blood all over the place. 

Maybe it’s a way of pulling punches, but I often use levity when revealing aspects of a character’s greed or rationalizing their acts of corruption or revenge. And that often helps maintain the story’s overall vibe.   

On that first pass, the draft’s rough and the characters aren’t fleshed out yet. I really get to know them by the second pass, and the villain might end up as the hero, and vice versa. By winging it this way, I often make changes to resolve certain character arcs or plot points. 

What I don’t want to do is shy away from the harsh realities and the darker aspects of human nature — something that would just water the whole thing down. After all, it’s a crime novel.