This is Cam Wylen, and you're listening to the 106th episode of the Word Play Podcast.

So far, the trickiest part of fleshing out my original first draft of the deepest breath,

with the goal of adding at least 40,000 words has been making certain that each new scene matters.

Since the story arc was complete unto itself at 60,000 words, I'm having to be careful that my

additions of new characters and subplots

flesh out the story instead of just creating noisy filler.

It's easier said than that.

A scene can look important and integral in the outline and then turn out to be lacking character motivations when I actually start writing it.

My mental muscles have been doing a lot of flexing, and so far the results have been a lot of fun.

Keep slow scenes moving with tension and foreboding.

The latest post in the video series on my blog shows how Patrick Rothfus cleverly made even his

slowest scenes in the name of the wind, interesting by prompting reader anticipation with foreboding

and foreshadowing.

You can watch the video on my blog at wordplay-K-M-Y-L-N-D-B-S-B-S-Blogspot. New videos are posted every Wednesday.

Meanwhile, enjoy this week's podcast.

Deos Xmakana. Latin for, don't do this in your story.

By the time you reach the end of your story, you're sometimes out of steam, sometimes out of ideas,

sometimes sick of your story, and sometimes just plain wrong about how to end it.

As a result you might find yourself walking through the yellow caution tape

and stepping into the pothole of deus X makana before you even realize there is a danger.

What is this deus deus ex makana you ask?

It's all Greek to me you say.

...