{"id":8518,"date":"2013-04-18T03:00:09","date_gmt":"2013-04-18T10:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=8518"},"modified":"2013-04-17T16:00:12","modified_gmt":"2013-04-17T23:00:12","slug":"dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a title=\"Betting on Hope by Kay Keppler\" href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/SS5HMB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/SS5HMB\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-4270\" style=\"margin: 6px;\" title=\"Betting on Hope by Kay Keppler\" alt=\"Betting on Hope by Kay Keppler\" src=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Cover_Hope_Keppler-200x300.jpg\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Cover_Hope_Keppler-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg 533w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>Welcome to the next installment of craft posts by monthly guest columnist, <a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/SS5HMB\" target=\"_blank\">Kay Keppler<\/a>, on novel writing. Today she\u2019ll share about how the right\u00a0proportion\u00a0in a scene is key to not boring your audience.<\/p>\n<p>You can contact <a href=\"http:\/\/kaykeppler.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Kay <\/a>through the \u00a0<strong>Writer\u2019s Fun Zone<\/strong>\u00a0or at kaykeppler AT yahoo DOT com to ask questions, suggest topics, or tell her she\u2019s off her rocker. (She let me say that!)<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p><em>What\u2019s wrong with this passage?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cBullshit!\u201d McKittrick yelled above the engine noise. The boat chugged and lurched through the choppy water, now a dull, angry green. He thought he might puke. He thought he might die. \u201cYou\u2019re a liar. You lied before, you\u2019re lying now.\u201d He gripped the gunwale for support.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cListen to me,\u201d Bosch yelled. He saw his life pass before his eyes, and what he saw, he\u00a0didn&#8217;t\u00a0much like. But if this guy could help, he\u2019d use him. He\u2019d use anybody. \u201cYou said you remember every case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI do, goddamnit! I can\u2019t forget them.\u201d How could he forget? They were the sad ones, the lost ones, the dangerous and defiled ones.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCut it back!\u201d Bosch knew that if they couldn\u2019t get the boat under control, they\u2019d both die.<\/p>\n<p>McKittrick pulled the throttle back and the boat evened off and the noise reduced.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p><b>Sorry, Michael<\/b><\/p>\n<p>With apologies to Michael Connelly, this passage is highly adapted from <i>The Last Coyote<\/i>. Connelly\u2019s protagonist, Bosch, wants McKittrick, an ex-cop, to help solve a case. This is the way Connelly wrote the passage:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\u201cBullshit!\u201d McKittrick yelled above the engine noise. \u201cYou\u2019re a liar. You lied before, you\u2019re lying now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\u201cListen to me,\u201d Bosch yelled. \u201cYou said you remember every case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\u201cI do, goddamnit! I can\u2019t forget them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">\u201cCut it back!\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">McKittrick pulled the throttle back and the boat evened off and the noise reduced.<\/p>\n<p>Overwriting, especially in dramatic scenes like this one, can kill the momentum of your story. Excess description, or showing detail that is already obvious from the dialogue, slows the action. Overtelling the scene can bore or even patronize your readers.<\/p>\n<p><b>The Right Proportion<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Problems like these are problems of <i>proportion.<\/i> You want to give readers enough detail and discussion to hold their interest, but you don\u2019t want to give more detail than the scene requires. In an action scene, such as this one from <a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/ZxKM1o\" target=\"_blank\"><i>The Last Coyote<\/i><\/a>, readers want to know <i>what happens next<\/i>. They won\u2019t be as interested in how the water looks or what the characters\u2019 personal demons are.<\/p>\n<p>Proportion also can go haywire when writers use their hobbies or expertise to flavor a narrative. While specialized knowledge can do a lot to lend authenticity to a tale and introduce readers to a new world, including too much detail can stall your story. Worse, it can drag out your page count, postpone your conflict, and bore your readers.<\/p>\n<p><b>Too Big? Too Small? Or Just Right?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>How can you be sure you\u2019re providing the right amount of detail? Read your work carefully. Be sure that if you\u2019re giving something a lot of space in your novel, it will pay off. You don\u2019t want to go into a fifteen-page description of a 1930s-era World Series game and then not have baseball or teamwork be a major component of your story. Your readers will feel cheated.<\/p>\n<p>Proportion is important, but you also don\u2019t want to cut everything that\u00a0doesn&#8217;t\u00a0ruthlessly advance your plot. There will always be room for description or a philosophical rumination that reveals character or establishes atmosphere. Just be sure that when you include these side trips that they reflect and harmonize with your central plot and its themes, rather than hang out there like wet diapers on a sagging clothesline.<\/p>\n<p><b>Checking for Size<\/b><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re in doubt that\u00a0you&#8217;ve\u00a0added too much detail, give your book a rest for a few days and come back to it with fresh eyes. What parts do you like the most? If what you like best are sections that don\u2019t advance the plot, maybe you need to rethink your plot. Ask your critique partner or a trusted friend or colleague for their opinion, too.<\/p>\n<p>Once you see how proportion can throw off your story, you can use it to advance your story. For example, if you have a surprise that you want to spring on your readers, shorten the buildup until you get there. Or spend more time on another scene to mask an important development.<\/p>\n<p><b>Proportion is a Tool<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Learn to control the proportions of your story. If you can\u2019t, you may damage your work. But used well, proper proportions can draw readers into your book and bring it to life.<\/p>\n<p>***<\/p>\n<p><a title=\"Kay Keppler, Author\" href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/SS5HMB\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/SS5HMB\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-6292\" style=\"margin: 6px;\" title=\"Kay Keppler, Author\" alt=\"Kay Keppler, Author\" src=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Kay-Keppler_3.jpg\" width=\"151\" height=\"218\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/SS5HMB\" target=\"_blank\">Kay Keppler<\/a> (<a href=\"http:\/\/kaykeppler.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">www.kaykeppler.com<\/a>) is an author (<em><a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/S0TqmA\" target=\"_blank\">Zero Gravity Outcasts<\/a><\/em>,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/amzn.to\/SS5HMB\" target=\"_blank\">Betting on Hope<\/a>) and editor of fiction and nonfiction (<em>Angel\u2019s Kiss, Outsource It!<\/em>) who lives in northern California. Contact her here or at kaykeppler@yahoo.com to ask questions, suggest topics, or if you prefer, complain.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Problems like these are problems of proportion. You want to give readers enough detail and discussion to hold their interest, but you don\u2019t want to give more detail than the scene requires. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4270,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[231,210,1340,189,1851,1850,11,2523],"class_list":["post-8518","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing-tips","tag-authors","tag-books","tag-kay-keppler","tag-novel-writing","tag-overtelling","tag-proportion","tag-writing","tag-writing-tips"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler &#183; Writer&#039;s Fun Zone<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Welcome to the next installment of craft posts by monthly guest columnist, Kay Keppler, on novel writing. Today she\u2019ll share about how the right proportion in a scene is key to not boring your audience\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler &#183; Writer&#039;s Fun Zone\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Welcome to the next installment of craft posts by monthly guest columnist, Kay Keppler, on novel writing. Today she\u2019ll share about how the right proportion in a scene is key to not boring your audience\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Writer&#039;s Fun Zone\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bethbarany\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-04-18T10:00:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"533\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"799\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beth Barany\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@bethbarany\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@BethBarany\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Beth Barany\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Beth Barany\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9716e70facf67ac5be22883cfdbc684b\"},\"headline\":\"Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-04-18T10:00:09+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":859,\"commentCount\":6,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/12\\\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"authors\",\"books\",\"Kay Keppler\",\"novel writing\",\"overtelling\",\"proportion\",\"writing\",\"Writing Tips\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Writing Tips\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/\",\"name\":\"Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler &#183; Writer&#039;s Fun Zone\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/12\\\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-04-18T10:00:09+00:00\",\"description\":\"Welcome to the next installment of craft posts by monthly guest columnist, Kay Keppler, on novel writing. Today she\u2019ll share about how the right proportion in a scene is key to not boring your audience\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/12\\\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2011\\\/12\\\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg\",\"width\":533,\"height\":799},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/2013\\\/04\\\/18\\\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Writer's Fun Zone\",\"description\":\"where we go to the edge to play and become better writers\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Beth Barany Productions\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/cropped-cropped-WFZ_BANNER_DRAFT_NEW_mock_1C_w_edits.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/05\\\/cropped-cropped-WFZ_BANNER_DRAFT_NEW_mock_1C_w_edits.jpeg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":246,\"caption\":\"Beth Barany Productions\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/bethbarany\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/BethBarany\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/bethbarany\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/c\\\/BethBarany\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/bethbarany\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9716e70facf67ac5be22883cfdbc684b\",\"name\":\"Beth Barany\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2fb0bef9fd3da8d545d88eab8bead7ebb0c95120246ccc8674f6112cd945a6b8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2fb0bef9fd3da8d545d88eab8bead7ebb0c95120246ccc8674f6112cd945a6b8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/2fb0bef9fd3da8d545d88eab8bead7ebb0c95120246ccc8674f6112cd945a6b8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Beth Barany\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/bethbarany.com\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/bethbarany\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/writersfunzone.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/beth-barany\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler &#183; Writer&#039;s Fun Zone","description":"Welcome to the next installment of craft posts by monthly guest columnist, Kay Keppler, on novel writing. Today she\u2019ll share about how the right proportion in a scene is key to not boring your audience","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler &#183; Writer&#039;s Fun Zone","og_description":"Welcome to the next installment of craft posts by monthly guest columnist, Kay Keppler, on novel writing. Today she\u2019ll share about how the right proportion in a scene is key to not boring your audience","og_url":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/","og_site_name":"Writer&#039;s Fun Zone","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bethbarany\/","article_published_time":"2013-04-18T10:00:09+00:00","og_image":[{"width":533,"height":799,"url":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Beth Barany","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@bethbarany","twitter_site":"@BethBarany","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Beth Barany","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/"},"author":{"name":"Beth Barany","@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9716e70facf67ac5be22883cfdbc684b"},"headline":"Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler","datePublished":"2013-04-18T10:00:09+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/"},"wordCount":859,"commentCount":6,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg","keywords":["authors","books","Kay Keppler","novel writing","overtelling","proportion","writing","Writing Tips"],"articleSection":["Writing Tips"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/","url":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/","name":"Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler &#183; Writer&#039;s Fun Zone","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg","datePublished":"2013-04-18T10:00:09+00:00","description":"Welcome to the next installment of craft posts by monthly guest columnist, Kay Keppler, on novel writing. Today she\u2019ll share about how the right proportion in a scene is key to not boring your audience","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Cover_Hope_Keppler.jpg","width":533,"height":799},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2013\/04\/18\/dont-go-overboard-managing-proportion-for-novel-writing-by-kay-keppler\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Don\u2019t Go Overboard: Managing Proportion for Novel Writing by Kay Keppler"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/","name":"Writer's Fun Zone","description":"where we go to the edge to play and become better writers","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Beth Barany Productions","url":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/cropped-cropped-WFZ_BANNER_DRAFT_NEW_mock_1C_w_edits.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/cropped-cropped-WFZ_BANNER_DRAFT_NEW_mock_1C_w_edits.jpeg","width":1024,"height":246,"caption":"Beth Barany Productions"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bethbarany\/","https:\/\/x.com\/BethBarany","http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bethbarany\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/BethBarany","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bethbarany\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9716e70facf67ac5be22883cfdbc684b","name":"Beth Barany","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2fb0bef9fd3da8d545d88eab8bead7ebb0c95120246ccc8674f6112cd945a6b8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2fb0bef9fd3da8d545d88eab8bead7ebb0c95120246ccc8674f6112cd945a6b8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2fb0bef9fd3da8d545d88eab8bead7ebb0c95120246ccc8674f6112cd945a6b8?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Beth Barany"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/bethbarany.com\/","https:\/\/x.com\/bethbarany"],"url":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/author\/beth-barany\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8518","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8518"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8518\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8518"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8518"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8518"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}