In the early 70s, my mother won a television for selling the most World Book Encyclopedias. It came with a wooden stand on wheels, and we wasted no time rolling it to a corner in our great room. We were so excited when Dad connected it to the outdoor antennae. (We had no cable at the time.) It was our first color TV and I was absolutely enthralled by it. Aside from cartoons, which we only saw on Saturday mornings, my favorite shows were sitcoms. I can still remember the joy of seeing the color of Andy Griffith's uniform, the Partridge family's multi-colored bus, Maxwell Smart's red Sunbeam Tiger, Samantha's witchy chiffon robes and of course, Lucy's carrot top. 

And then there was the subliminal stuff, such as the timing and the structure of storytelling. The opening (usually with a catchy song), the dilemma, a few commercials, the reactions, the plan, a few more commercials, the execution of the plan, the hilarious screw-ups, the surprise, the climax, a few more commercials, the wrap up, closing credits. 

It’s a snappy formula that allows even the casual viewer a chance to escape from her life for a while, and become engrossed in someone else's. It requires nothing more than eyes and ears, and when it's over, the viewer feels as though she's been told a little story.

Unfortunately this technique is popping up more and more in manuscripts. But here's why it doesn't work. 

When we watch a TV show or a film, we immediately see the environment, the characters' appearances and actions. We hear the dialogue, the soundtrack and other peripheral sounds that add mood to the story. No matter the length or speed of the scenes, we're able to absorb them all because we attain the info by sight and sound. Within the span of a few seconds.

When we open a book, we immediately see words. That's it. And from those words alone, our imagination must kick into gear. Which it loves to do, by the way. It's kinda like a seasoned detective working a cold case file. Rubbing its hands together, it says, Okay, where are we? Who's the main players? What's happening right now? Give me an idea of what these characters look like. Not a complete rundown, just something I can use. What are they saying? What are they doing? Anything else I should see or hear? 

Page by page, the imagination looks for information to translate to visuals, and bit by bit the fictional world evolves. This is an intimate and unique process. Given the same details, no two imaginations will ever see things in the same way. This is why books are almost always better than their filmed counterpart. When we read, we aren’t bombarded with the interpretations of others. We create alone--by seeing the words, processing the words and then visualizing the words. 

And that, my friend, takes time. 

So if you find your chapters leap from tiny scene to tiny scene, stop for a moment and ponder. Do I watch a lot of sitcoms? Do I consume huge amounts of caffeine? Why can't I remain in this scene longer than a second? Is it vital readers see the itsy bitsy tidbits as they unfold, or can I combine several? Overall, do I allow my readers a chance to settle in, to get to know the characters and their world? 

If you want to write for TV or film, then short and snappy is key. You're writing for the eyes and ears. Novels, on the other hand, are strictly cerebral. And these constant leaps will only give your readers whiplash.

IN A NUTSHELL
Sit a spell. Take your shoes off.