intentional

[marycatelli]

Sometimes you don't want to maunder about what your character's motives are.  Having heard that her mother's ring is vitally important, she goes back home and empties out drawers on the floor, and leaves it there while she opens closets and hunts through the shelves. . .

One hopes the reader can figure it out.  Stopping to let the character ponder the purpose -- even if in character -- would only slow down the story.

But lower than that are scenes that will have impact on the plot, and even vital impact, but don't have the obvious narrative drive.  Adding more about motives, purposes, and intentions will sharpen the story and lend it forward motion.

And sometimes I still find, revising, that I put down what all the characters were doing but not why.  Fortunately that's still clearer on revision. . . .