The other night I enjoyed re-watching the first episode of Castle , which I had stored on the DVR player. Funny thing is, I didn't remember much of it, though I'd watched it not long ago. Well, I am a senior, and, at times, forgetful. Also, I tend to watch TV when I'm winding down for the evening. Since I get up so early in the morning, by eight or so I'm in danger of nodding off. Whatever the case, I enjoyed the interplay between the characters, and was glad I decided to watch that episode again, instead of searching for something else on TV. Last night, I again watched The Net , with Sandra Bullock , and was taken in by the suspense and characterization. I have no problem re-watching her movies,  since most all of them are entertaining and engrossing. When it comes to books, that's another matter. Too many years ago, every time I went to the library, I'd look for the Cinderella book to take home again. Now, when I finish a novel, I have no desire to read i...

Several television shows I enjoy reached a point where they decided to split up their cast and follow them separately. It doesn’t always work well. In the cop show Castle , they used the detour then put the cast back together. In the musical high school Glee , they are still trying to hang onto the old cast and follow a new cast and the show suffers for it. The same is true of a book that follows two separate plot threads. A parallel plot generally tells two stories of equal importance, moving from one to the other and back again as opposed to a subplot. It is hard to get caught up in one plot when the writer keeps the verbal camera moving between two separate story lines, especially if they don’t connect. The potential for plot holes is enormous. If you choose a parallel plot, ask yourself these questions: 1. Who do you want the reader to care about? Splitting the focus between two protagonists weakens the reader’s attachment to them. Every time you move the verbal camera...