Red Herrings and Guns on the Mantle

The main challenge of this part of writing a novel, the last 25%, is pulling off the magic trick that is a tight plot. I had to create a lot of foreshadowing, placing several of Chekhov's "guns on the mantlepiece" so that characters can pick them up and "shoot" now. I had to introduce a few red herrings, so the reader wouldn't get bored by seeing too clearly exactly how it would all unfold.

It's like...
...getting to the point where you can see the picture behind the puzzle pieces, but essential chunks are still unpieced. You hope you haven't lost any pieces (under the table, behind the box).
...weaving a tapestry, where all the threads are aligned and all you have to do is pull them taut for it all to come together.
...decorating the house that has been built.

I read somewhere, or perhaps I heard it on a podcast, that a reader wants to anticipate a good plot twist or reveal about a paragraph before it happens. That way the reader thinks, "I'm so smart! I figured it out before the characters did!" and stays engaged to solve the next piece of the plot puzzle. I like that idea.

One of my favorite parts of writing SPOTD was assembling the plot. You know how the final Marvel Avengers film drew on all the previous films, fitting together what seems to have been an intentional resolution? It was so satisfying. That's what I strive for. And that's the fun part of writing for me.

But it's also tough as diamonds to do. My aging brain doesn't hold as much information simultaneously as it used to. I have notes everywhere -- on little pieces of paper, on rambling voice messages, and in an inch thick of printed notes. It's probably time to start ONE doc called something like "THE END." Then I'll reread the whole story and take notes on what has been set up, what needs more setting up, and what needs to happen in the end.

Oh my. I just realized that this is work I can do while sitting outside in the sun. YAY! Can't wait!