From the course: Writing: The Craft of Story

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Explanation: Setups, payoffs, and the clues in between

Explanation: Setups, payoffs, and the clues in between

From the course: Writing: The Craft of Story

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Explanation: Setups, payoffs, and the clues in between

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- Because we're hardwired to see causality as the cement of the universe, the brain detests randomness. As a result, it's constantly converting raw data into meaningful patterns. The better to figure out what's safe, what isn't, and what the heck to do about it. So it's no surprise that as readers we're always on the lookout for patterns. To the reader, everything is either a setup, a payoff, or the road in between. Once readers spot a setup, they immediately start hunting for the breadcrumb trail that will lead to the payoff. In other words, a setup is anything that implies further action. Like when a guy throws a banana peel over his shoulder and we immediately start wondering, oh who's going to trip? A big part of the pleasure of reading is recognizing, interpreting, and then connecting the dots as the pattern emerges. After all, it's curiosity that keeps us turning those pages. That means you want to make sure every setup actually…

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