Motivational Mondays: Narrative Structures

 

Nugget #134 -- Foundations Need Walls

 Story narrative is based in what characters see and 
 hear. There’s almost no way around that. Those are 
 the foundations on which you build the frame. And 
 that’s okay. But remember, nobody lives on just the 
 concrete slab. You actually have to put up walls.

By Photo by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas or alternatively © CEphoto, Uwe Aranas,
CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39211147

The Writer Will Take Your Questions Now #347 -- Crowded Narrative

Is there a rule of thumb to tell when or if your narrative is getting too "crowded," when writing pulp?

Sure. Depends on what you mean by being "crowded."

Too many characters?

Too much going on at one time?

Too much develop for what should be a more simple story?

I don't think there's a rule of thumb as much as a what feels right to you as the person creating the tale. In general a pulp tale should be a fairly straightforward adventure story with a linear, easily progressed and followed plot. So, I guess you could say that when things start to get convoluted you're probably leaving the arena of pulp and moving into something different.