For me the real writing of a story does not take place until the first revision begins. I liken the first draft to a bag of bones. This is where you would focus mainly on getting the
plot down on paper, on computer, or whatever. Imagine someone handing you a bag of bones. And the only instruction given was to use the bones to create the skeletal shape of a dinosaur. You would lay the bones out, then you would start to put this bone with that bone and so on until all of the bones have been pieced together. Yet when you step back to admire your lovely work you realize that the head bones are where the tail bones should be. So naturally you remove those bones and rearrange them until you have the desired form. Right? Right:-) Same type of situation should occur when constructing your story.
During that first draft you should focus mainly on getting the basic story completed. Just like you had to step back to get a better view of the completed dinosaur skeleton, you now have to “step back” from your completed first draft. You do this by sticking the printed rough draft in a drawer or make a vow not to open the file for at least a week, though I really recommend two. You do this so when you go back to do that all important first read you will easily spot any errors that were made. Like with the incorrect placement of the dinosaur’s head and tail bones. You repeat the steps until your dinosaur shape, meaning your story, looks as it should. Oh, and
VIOLET EYES has gone through four revisions: )
Happy reading, writing or whatever:-)
7 comments:
Just four revisions? I am jealous. I do love your description of revisions as trying to put a dinosaur together. Mind if I print that line out and hang in in my office for when I'm revising manuscripts?
I look forward to reading "Alien Line."
Ha! I do not mind at all Antrisdale:) Thanks.
Great comparison, Tanya. And then we flesh out those bones in later revisions.
Hi Tanya, I am a new follower from facebook. I really like your site it is very informative and interesting. I look forward to following. I signed up through google as I spend more them there and it is easier for me to follow that way. Hope you stop by and check me out at http://www.wrighton-time.blogspot.com
Hi Wrighton,
Thanks for the follow:) I will check out your site.
Hi Tanya,
Your writing methodology of the lifecycle of a creative work/endeavour is reminiscent of the opening quatrains to one of my poems titled “Undying Love For A Love That Is Dying”.
“The artist put himself to task,
to realise a dream,
And gathered up and set it so,
it did not show a seam.
With loving hands he polished it,
and when each piece was done,
He set it all in motion,
giving life to every one.”
Commencing with a diamond in the rough, we add a facet here and a facet there and as we do our creation takes its shape. Then we polish it to reveal its true brilliance and finally put it on display for all to see and hopefully admire.
Also, from another poem of mine titled “Oh God! What Can I Do?”
“Esoteric people, from their deep,
lay to rest their feel;
in the hope another shall lift them up,
and utterly make them real.”
We commit something very real to us onto paper where it lays dormant and concealed until read by another, where it reborn, slowly coming to life and embracing them also.
I have only just recently started a blog of my own. It like everything newly created is a work in progress and will ever grow and take its final shape in the fullness of time. Should you wish to visit it at http://theworldasiseeit.tatapilla.com I would greatly appreciate any feedback, whether it be good, bad or indifferent.
Wishing you all the best in your endeavours,
Christopher John Petersen.
Thanks Christopher. I have a hard time with poetry so I probably would not be much help:) Nice poems.
Post a Comment