It’s Progress

Last night was another progressive work session. I cut 1,000 words of useless content and then added double that fleshing out telling sections.

It’s not that I don’t EVER like to write in a telling format. Sometimes it’s useful, but most of the time it disconnects the reader from the story. I know that’s how I feel when I’m in the role of reader.

The scenes I focused on last night were battle scenes. When I reread them, the scenes felt more like a dictation or debriefing report. That is so not what I want the reader to feel. I want them to feel like they, themselves, are going through the battle. I want them to forget the main character is Nettie and start thinking [insert readers name here] is the main character.

Example:

…The bent metal cut into Nettie, causing pain…

The last part of the sentence is telling, but the scene really calls for a connected experience. I needed to show how and what kind of pain Nettie felt. I want to make it obvious and real to the reader.

Solution (for me):

…The bent metal tore into Nettie’s arm. She winced, biting back a scream. Her eyes watered as the pain shot through her forearm and up to her shoulder. Warm blood pooled at the ripped flesh then ran off, dripping onto her flight suit…

When you’ve finished your draft and start the revision phase, take a look and see what you’re telling versus what you’re showing. Then ask yourself if it’s the right format for the scene. You might find the story more enriching when you’re done.

Good writing all!

Letting Go

My creative muse is back. Yesterday I commented on my vibe search through my various industry sites. It worked! Yay! I started feeling the creative flow yesterday afternoon and after work…wrote like a madwoman.

I also did something more important. I let go of the remaining core of my story concept. Galileo has been a project I’ve been “working” on for over 16 years. Last night I was finally able to cut the last pieces of the original story and close a long-opened and quite drafty door.

There are still fond memories of that story. The characters fit in it because, like me in my writing, they were innocent and new to there “world”. But as I grew and evolved, so did my characters. They no longer were those young adults tossed into war, but adults tossed into political conflict.

My understanding of the world now, with all my experiences and knowledge gained since those first drafts, surpassed the ability to keep the story as it was.

Oh, I fought it. It was like a bittersweet romance that, although you knew it was over, you were afraid you’d forget the feelings after goodbye. But yesterday I realized those feelings and memories are apart of me, at the infrastructure of the writer I am now.

I’ve kept a version of the original story and will probably bind it…to look at from time to time when I’m feeling nostalgic. But as for right now, I’m honoring the memory by writing the correct story in the correct setting.

I feel released and finally free to wholly delve into the writer I’ve become. Today is definitely a good day.