Spl@t!

I was just thinking about how I added a chapter in the beginning of my manuscript because it seemed odd to jump straight from one thing to another. As I thought of it, I wondered "what if that doesn't belong there at all." Not just belonging in that position, but whether the additional chapter belongs in the manuscript at all.

And a thought came to me about something that I will call "splat." Here is my definition of "splat."

Splat: (noun) 1. A thing that is "thrown" into a story the way a lump of mashed potatoes hits the wall in a food fight. A haphazard addition that only marks that a thing was added and not necessarily that any improvement was made. 2. Any thing that is haphazardly added to another thing in such a way that suggests slipshod, inefficient work or similar lack of quality.

The idea applies not just to stories, but also to computer programs, movies, etc. I think the thing that made me want to log on and write down this thought is another important thought: "Splat" is avoidable.