Setup and Payoff

Another book that caused me to evaluate my writing is Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman. This story occurs in the same universe as Hartman’s Seraphina and Shadow Scale duology, but it is not a third book of a trilogy. It is the first book of a new duology centered on a new character, Tess.

Having multiple stories in the same universe is something I do, but that is not what struck me about this story. What enthralled me was Hartman’s use of setup and payoff. She introduces objects, cultures, characters, or concepts at organic moments in the story where learning about these items fits perfectly. However, the payoff is later when those items reappear at a pivotal moment in the story. Since we have already learned about them, the story charges forward without pausing to explain. I like the way Hartman does this. I, too, do this to some extent, but I could use with some improvement.