Have you heard of this fancy MFA creative writing term called profluence? Proflu-whaaaaaat? Yep, it’s a complete mouthful! Profluence is a big scholarly MFA word that I’d never heard of until I was in creative writing school. It’s coined by John Gardner and it refers to the overall connective tissue, flow and energy of your novel,…
If you’ve spent any time in an MFA program you’ve probably heard the term profluence. At my first MFA residency the word was thrown around as readily as dialog or plot. But I was mystified by it. I’d never heard it before. In fact, it shows up three times in the list-poem I wrote after residency (which I posted…
Be sure to read the first two parts of this essay: Part 1: Terminology and the Difference Between Narrative and Story Part 2: Taking a Closer Look at Story Got Plot? Okay, so I’ve got a story, but do I have a plot? Let’s take a look at how plot is different. Once a writer…