One discussion
centered on the different issues a writer has when starting a piece compared to
the process needed for polishing a finished piece.
When a writer wants
to work with an idea (we’re talking fiction here) some kind of outline is developed
(if that is the way the writer works). At the very least, the writer must have
clear ideas about what genre, what time frame, what POV, what setting best suits
a particular idea. Where will the writer start the story and where will it end?
How will the plot unroll so that it is logical but also encompasses twists,
turns, surprises and suspense? This part of the writing process establishes the
underlying structure, or armature, of the piece.
At the other end
of the process, it’s time to polish. The story has setting, plot, characters
and a solid form with a beginning, middle and end. How to get it to shine?
Take a bird’s
eye view. Look at the writing as a whole, keeping in mind the overall story arc
while carefully reviewing word choice, pacing and consistency of action. Are
the characters well served by every element in the dialogue, does the story
move exactly at the right speed or does the pacing need to be tightened,
loosened? Does the end follow solidly from the beginning?
The writer needs
to let go of his/her ego and make decisions that serve the story best, a story
that, by now should be “speaking” so strongly that it will be fairly easy to
know what to keep and what to change or drop.
What about you? How
do you start? How is that process different from putting on the finishing
touches?
An even bigger
question: how do you know when the polishing is done? That’s a question for
later… stay tuned!
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