Peeling back the curtain - How the writer writes · 1:03am Nov 15th, 2016
At the risk of of perhaps revealing too much, I've decided to pull back the curtain and show how my work progresses into what it is. It starts simple, I approach it almost as a screenplay, and then, after a few rewrites, it gets constructed into something greater. This is the secret to how I write.
Construct scene: Emotional Sumac studies photograph as his feelings threaten to overwhelm him. Scene focus: show emotion for both Cel and Sum to establish rapport that shows the beginnings of a much greater relationship. Objects of interest: Sumac’s glasses, various pets.
Sumac: “What if this burns up?”
Sumac: (on table from previous scene) “I don’t know if I want to keep anything if I can’t keep it safe somehow.” “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be an ungrateful sort. Thank you, all the same.”
Cel: (Maternal focus) “It can be very difficult to accept loss.” “If something ever happens, come to me and I will make sure that you have a replacement photo from the Royal Archives. That photo is just to hold you over until Seville can get his photographs developed, and then I shall send you one in a fireproofed frame.”
Sumac: (Gratitude) “Thank you.” “Thank you for not making me feel like a whiny crybaby.” Focus on dragon.
Cel: “I think my work here is done. You should ask Pebble for a dance. I have other guests that I must entertain.”
Sumac: (Patriotism intensifies)
As sisters go to leave, Sumac: “Princess Luna… thank you for taking notice of me and making me feel special. When you’re my size, it is easy to feel ignored and forgotten.”
Lun: (Emotional response intensifies)
Sisters prepare to exit scene, transition.
As you can see, we have a bare bones framework here. It's pretty stark and it isn't much to look at. I think of it as bones. It has to be fleshed out for it become interesting. In some versions, the dialogue is pretty choppy and not very good. Sometimes, I'll go back in later, tweak the dialogue, add contractions, change words, etc, and I'll also put in all of the set dressing.
Now, wondering why Sumac gets his full name while the others get abbreviations? I'll tell you. The camera is focused upon Sumac! In a scene where the focus is on say, Pebble, she stops being Peb, becomes Pebble, and Sumac becomes Sum. With this little tweak, it helps me focus and craft the scene entirely from the perspective of the one that the virtual camera is focused on. It makes things so much easier, but I can't say why.
Set dressing and objects of interest get mentioned so I'll know things to focus the camera on.
Now, I shall work my magic.
His green eyes flashing with emotion behind his tea shades, Sumac Apple studied the photograph of himself, the sisters, a baby dragon, a phoenix, and what was sure to be an undead possum. Try as he might, he could not hold back his feelings, which threatened to overwhelm him. With a sniffle, he looked up at Princess Celestia and for a moment, he watched as Philomena preened herself while sitting upon the white alicorn’s horn.
“What if this burns up?” Sumac asked in a low voice.
For a moment, Celestia froze in place and the only part of her that moved was her blinking eyes. She did not seem to breathe, even her flowing ethereal mane and tail seemed to almost go still, and on her horn, Philomena paused mid-feather in her preening to look at Sumac with wide, avian eyes.
“I don’t know if I want to keep anything if I can’t keep it safe somehow.” Sumac, still standing upon the edge of the table, sat down. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be an ungrateful sort. Thank you, all the same.”
“It can be very difficult to accept loss.” Princess Celestia’s words were soft and somehow maternal. “If something ever happens, come to me and I will make sure that you have a replacement photo from the Royal Archives. That photo is just to hold you over until Seville can get his photographs developed, and then I shall send you one in a fireproofed frame.”
“Thank you.” Sumac sniffled a bit until he felt the sniffles pass, and then he smiled. “Thank you for not making me feel like a whiny crybaby.” The colt’s ears stood up and Boomer reached out to grab one so she could give it a tug.
Lowering her head, Princess Celestia’s eyes darted around the room, and then she gave Sumac a soft kiss upon his cheek. As she pulled away, she said in a low whisper, “I think my work here is done. You should ask Pebble for a dance. I have other guests that I must entertain.”
Blushing, his ears burning, he nodded and Sumac looked up at his monarch as he felt a fierce love for her. He raised one small hoof, held it out, and waved as Princess Celestia pulled away. While he had no interest in being a soldier, a teeny, tiny fire burned within his breast, a fervent flame of devotion for the alicorn princess that had been so kind to him.
As the two sisters made ready to leave, Sumac had one final thing to say. “Princess Luna… thank you for taking notice of me and making me feel special. When you’re my size, it is easy to feel ignored and forgotten.”
Pausing, Princess Luna turned to look back at Sumac. Looking flustered, it soon became apparent that the Princess of the Night didn’t know what to say in return. Turning about, she now stood facing Sumac, one eye wide, one eye half-open as her ears performed various feats of dexterity. Unable to respond with words, she reached out with one wing, and using her primaries, she stroked Sumac’s cheek.
Then, she turning back around silence, Princess Luna prepared to leave.
That simple framework, those bones turned into this once everything was fleshed out. It still needs some work and this, the almost finished product, will be gone over by my editor (and others who are most helpful sorts) until it is finished. The framework provides a vital workspace that allows me to look at the scene as a whole and decide what needs to be filled in. I can jump around the framework from place to place in a scene, adding what needs to be added until the whole scene feels balanced and even. Special emphasis is placed on showing what is happening in the scene. Emotional cues are attached to dialogue.
This is just one of many ways to improve your skills as a writer. Sometimes, paragraph by paragraph writing works out just fine, but for intricately constructed scenes, you need to focus upon a framework on which you can build your story. Paragraph by paragraph writing feels like improv, and that works in some situations, but scene by scene construction involves a script, and a script is something you can follow to keep your story straight.
Have questions? Feel free to ask.
I shall chew on these bones! They in turn shall make me stronger!
(comment intensifies)
this was very helpful and i think it will help me write a story one day if i chose to do so.
thank you!
As a (hopefully) growing writer, I appreciate the time you took to show your general method of writing. I think learning about how other writers write is important to developing a personal technique, and I think this sort of idea will help improve my writing in the future.
Thank you!
Aaaaaannnnddd bookmarked.
This is definitely helpful, pulling back the troops and regrouping. Sending in the pegastealths for reconnaissance on story target regrouping for new assault. *click* ... 3.1 CRAP blood sugar getting low, going to attack a sandwich first, BRB!
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4302642 (snarky response follows)
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You know... all the things that I feel I've got a good grip scenewise all have an "all in my head" version of this.
And all the scenes that I can't write I don't have a strong concept like this. I peter out and struggle and wonder what should happen next.
So, this is appreciated.
4302956 Damn imgur again, open in other tab....snerk, that poor butter seems a might scared.
Serious question, do you have an overall storyboard for your stories or build them up as you go? (with a notion of where you want to take it)
4302994
For most stories, I have very involved notes.
Thanks for the advice, Kudz. This'll be real helpful, I find that I struggle with pacing when I write. Ideas simply come and go far more quickly than I can write them. The screen play approach looks like it might be just what I need.
Teach me, Master kudzuhaiku!
I couldn't help it.
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