Today I am honored to have a guest post by Becca Puglisi of The BookShelf Muse. I absolutely adore this website. It is an absolute must have research tool when I am working on a writing project
Soup
and Layers
It’s
hotter than You-Know-What right now in south Florida, an entire four months
during which no one in their right mind would want to eat something as warm and
wet as soup. But my husband and I were feeling a little sickish, so despite it
being a thousand degrees outside, I pulled out my Poppy’s ancient pot. As I was
adding ingredients every thirty minutes to my steaming pot of yum, I realized
how similar it was to adding layers to a story. The first draft is usually bare
bones, skeletal—more scaffolding than a complete structure. But once you start
revising, you add the layers that flesh it out and make it thicker,
three-dimensional. There are a lot of things you could add to achieve this
goal. Here are a few on my current revision list...
1. Subplots. These secondary plot lines add
complexity and girth and are almost always directly tied-in to the main plot
line. A romance that
complicates the main character's objective (The Hunger Games); a mystery that is solved at a
pivotal point in the story (Saving
Private Ryan); a
friendship that spurs the mc on in her quest to reach her goal (Wither). Each subplot should have
its own complete and smooth story arc. Keep this in mind when editing.
2. Theme. Some writers start with theme.
Others figure it out along the way. Still others have the entire first draft
done before they realize what the theme is (hello, me). However you do it, it's
crucial to at some point identify
your story's main theme
so you can touch on it from start to finish. Think of your theme as a secondary subplot, one that needs a full arc from
beginning to end. Revisit it frequently to add depth.
3. Character Renovations. Without fail, I get all the way
through my first draft before realizing that my main character is missing something.
I hate that. But that's what the revision process is for, no? To increase
depth, to give us the chance to add an endearing quirk, uncommon trait, or a
fatal flaw to be overcome. For maximum impact, make the trait one that either helps or hinders the character's ability to
achieve his or her overall goal.
4. Meaningful Repetitions. These include anything that
is repeated throughout the story and, ideally, grows or changes with the story.
Symbols and
metaphors are good
examples. Common phrases
or sayings.
Meaningful objects. Settings
also apply: a favorite hang-out, the place your character goes when she needs
downtime, a location that has specific significance or emotional importance.
These repeated pieces are like touchstones for the reader, connecting them with
the characters and embedding the reader more firmly into the story with each
repetition.
The soup
was awesome, by the way. Hopefully, my story will turn out just as good once
the revisions are done.
Becca
Puglisi is one half of The
Bookshelf Muse blogging duo, and co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character
Expression. Listing the body language, visceral reactions and
thoughts associated with 75 different
emotions, this brainstorming guide is a valuable tool for showing, not telling,
emotion. The
Emotion Thesaurus is available for purchase through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords,
and the PDF can be purchased directly from her blog.
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