Member-only story
How to Write the Right Words
I keep trying to find the right metaphor for the novel writing process. But none of them seem to fit.
Like coming up with a metaphor, writing a novel is an imprecise art. Once I get in the flow, I compare it to watching a movie play out in my head, and trying to transcribe it. But the picture is foggy, depending on how well I know the characters and how much time I’ve spent in the world of the story.
The better I know my characters and their story, the more the mist gets cleared away. Every revelation takes away some new layer of haze. I, the imperfect writer, can see these imperfect characters a little more perfectly. I can tell their story with clarity. I can do their story justice.
It kind of surprises me that more authors don’t think like this. But I hear notes of outrage and incredulity from some authors when I suggest that my characters are in control of this thing.
No, they like to say, the characters are fictional, and you are the real person writing them. You’re the one telling the story.
That’s not untrue. But it’s also kind of foolish to think I have full control over this thing. Just as I don’t control every single thought that enters my head — thank you, intrusive thoughts — I don’t control every idea that I have for this story. They come to me. They reveal themselves to me. I…
