Daily Dish

Musings, ramblings, and miscellaneous writer neuroses of RITA award-winning comedy and New York Times bestselling author Alesia Holliday.

Thursday, February 22

Day 2 of 14 days of December

Yesterday was exploration - what works? what doesn't? what should I keep, but maybe rearrange? Today is back into the work. The trick with a funny mystery is to walk the fine line of balance between the serious main plot and the humorous secondary plots. I ask myself on every page: is this advancing the plot or deepening character? Or, in the best cases, doing both? When the answer is no, the scene has got to be cut, no matter how clever or witty I think the dialogue is. Story is all, and readers deserve the best.

Oh, if you're interested in reading an interview with me, go here. See you tomorrow!