“[F]iction must make more sense than real life if general readers are to find it credible.”

You can make almost anything happen in your story if every cause has an effect and vice versa. This implies a rational universe, which is comforting to the reader.

“Stimulus and response are cause and effect made more specific and immediate.”

Stimulus and response are both external – we could see them if the story was taking place on a stage. They always occur in pairs, and usually without delay, and with a clear logical connection (which may involve internal processes, in which case, show them to the reader).

They occur in the order stimulus-(internalisation)-response, unless you deliberately re-order them to create an effect of momentary confusion.

– Jack M. Bickham

#sceneandstructure