Remembering to say the obvious
I don't know why I am surprised about how my story develops. It's like I expect everything to be there in the first draft.
Regardless, I was amazed Tuesday evening when I wrote into the story that Guzal and I agreed early that I should write about her. In truth, within 20 minutes of meeting her in 1999, I wanted to write her story and I lost sleep that night because I realized she was my first book.
When I saw her next we talked about this and she was pleased; she wanted the story about her people in China told. That's why I hung on traipsing from one Chinese police station to another, I was getting my story.
Not until I've been working on the story for 5 years and have a very complete first draft done, does it occur to me to say this in the story.
Oh well, whatever it takes to get the story out of my head and onto the hard drive! Not the first time in my life it's taken 5 years to arrive at the obvious. And all I've had to do is insert some short conversations into the story. It's a great release.
reva
Regardless, I was amazed Tuesday evening when I wrote into the story that Guzal and I agreed early that I should write about her. In truth, within 20 minutes of meeting her in 1999, I wanted to write her story and I lost sleep that night because I realized she was my first book.
When I saw her next we talked about this and she was pleased; she wanted the story about her people in China told. That's why I hung on traipsing from one Chinese police station to another, I was getting my story.
Not until I've been working on the story for 5 years and have a very complete first draft done, does it occur to me to say this in the story.
Oh well, whatever it takes to get the story out of my head and onto the hard drive! Not the first time in my life it's taken 5 years to arrive at the obvious. And all I've had to do is insert some short conversations into the story. It's a great release.
reva
posted by Seven Authors in A Private Conversation at 9:37 PM
1 Comments:
Yes, yes, so obvious now. I can't tell you the number of times I've been surprised when a reader has said they didn't know something. How could they not...it's so clear. IN MY HEAD! Seriously, laying the first book down for 18 months was a blessing because it let me pick it up with so much less internal clarity that I was able to see the lack of clarity on the page. Great insight, Reva! Victoria
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