“The difference between the right word and the
almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
- Mark Twain
I’ve been told that many novels
start out as dreams. One night an author lays down for sleep and the next
morning an original story has formed in his mind. This hasn’t happened to me,
but I can understand the thinking behind it. An idea for a new book can strike
at any moment, and the excitement that fresh storyline brings is exhilarating.
After such a brainstorm, it’s easy
to go straight for the keyboard and start clacking away until the first few paragraphs
are written. The characters are interesting. The setting is fascinating. So,
you keep pushing forward until the first draft is complete. You read through it
from start to finish and realize something: it’s not the story you wanted to
tell.
What has happened is that instead
of Writing Small you went straight
for the big dream – a finished novel.
Writing Small is a term that
I use to remind myself to focus on the details of the story. Instead of having
a goal to finish my book I place my attention on finding the right word for the
sentence and establishing the correct rhythm for the paragraph. From that point
I build outwards until I finish a chapter and eventually a book. This way I am
not consumed with the need to just finish, and can develop the story I truly
wanted to tell.
Writing a novel is an epic
accomplishment and I commend anyone who has taken on that challenge. It’s a Big
Dream. Just make sure to take the time to Write
Small and you’ll be happy that you did.
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