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Hi, Ember,

If you’ll take a closer look, you’ll find that what you call “side plots” are very much a part of the story, and have to be there as a part of the story right from the start. They’re never incidental, never “freebies” just there for amusement. What happened in the “fort” was planned from the beginning. Something had to save the younger boys from the older ones and, in turn, something had to happen to Marcus to take him out of the picture.

Good luck with your own work, Ember. Writing, whether it’s for publication or for your own entertainment, is a very pleasant business!                                                                                                           —–Gordon Korman—–