With all the talk here this week about cutting words and laser focused editing and concise writing, it’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of writing and its process, and to lose sight of the bigger picture.
And it’s easy to lose your balance and your way in the process.
Elizabeth Spann Craig has a great post over at Mystery Writing is Murder about the big picture. Check it out. Then tell me: How do you maintain your balance as you negotiate the space between the overall big picture and the myriad small ones that create the big one?
I'll check out the link thanks :)
ReplyDeleteUmm balance, gosh I don't have a lot going with kids and such but I do still have a pretty packed schedule so I try to make sure I balance as much as possible. Blogging is something I tell myself continously (and often fail) it isn't top priority, writing is! Blogging is second to writing and writing is second to everything else! Sometimes it can be overwhelming but I find that making time to do both allows me the freedom to do other things after!
In a manuscript, I start with the big picture, the pivotal moment, and all the smaller pictures stem from that. Each one is, in a sense, another layer of the big picture. They're all connected, strengthening the big picture more as each layer is added.
ReplyDeleteI only write small pieces :).
ReplyDeleteYeah, the murder is in the details in far too many ways.
ReplyDeleteGreat food for thought. The short answer is that I don't. I'm going to try something new, I think. I think I'll try plotting it out first, beginning to end then fill in the blanks. We'll see how that goes. Maybe then I can figure out how the little stuff fits in with a bigger piece.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever heard of writing software called Writers' Cafe? It uses virtual post-it notes to help you keep track of all your smaller scenes within the bigger framework. I love it!
ReplyDeleteMy personal feeling is that people spend way too much analyzing how to write. Some basics we all need to know: grammar, POV, cliches. But for the most part, I think writers should analyze what they think makes a great story, and then do it. Not think it to death.
ReplyDeleteBut that's just me. :)
Hi Sarahjayne, I checked out the link.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tamara. That is why I'll probably never progress beyond short stories.
When I work on larger projects, I find that I lose my way.
Its not easy at all. I imagine that's why I'm still in revision and have stopped querying. I sent my 2 paragraphs to Kristi at Random Acts of Writing today for her critique contest, and even as I pasted it to the e-mail, I was revising. Some days, nothing looks right except the spelling.
ReplyDelete......dhole
Oh, great topic. I've sometimes been too focused on the details and later had to cut what I thought were beautifully crafted scenes that just didn't fit into the vision. On my next book, I'm definitely going to try to work on the big picture stuff first before I tweak too much!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great link! So true...so true. :-)
ReplyDeleteI so agree with Tamara. I don't think I could say it better. I know I WAY over think too much. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI won't start writing without a detailed outline, tracking each storyline through every scene. Otherwise I'd wander aimlessly forever. So then when I have the outline, I can concentrate on the details, knowing what I need to accomplish in each scene.
ReplyDeleteRight now, I'm just keeping my head down and writing until I reach the end of the first draft. I know the big picture will only be created one brushstroke at a time.
ReplyDeleteI guess every writer wrestles with this and finds his/her own balance. Stark can be as beautiful as lush description, if it's done well. I guess it's a writer's style that has to shine.
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