Shoveling Plot Lines through the Snow

I just shoveled 4 inches of fluffy snow off my driveway. To make the job interesting in a Tom Sawyer kind of way, I thought of the snowy driveway as a story and the sidewalk like readers. I began by scooping a clear path on the sidewalk so that readers could watch the story unfold. Then I got to work on the driveway. 

Each line of snow I pushed my shovel through was a character's plot line. One line blissfully traveled across the cement. A second line ran parallel then veered off. A third line ended abruptly. A fourth line crashed into several other lines as it plowed across. And so on.

No line was perfect. Many lines left snow behind. 

Messy plot lines are far more interesting to read. They keep readers curious and involved in the story.

Messy lines are also more fun to shovel.