Writing on instinct
Wil commented that writing skills are part instinct. I think he's right. When I wrote my piece for the writing competition, I followed my instinct. I had some idea of what to do in the 5000 word excerpt allotted. I knew it should end on a major, and preferably perilous, dilemma for the main character, which would hopefully leave the reader wanting to know what happened next. It might be a no-brainer for others, but for me it was exciting, particularly as it paid off. Similarly, the beginning had to be intriguing, plus I easily got conflict in the first few pages. But the thing is, the whole piece wasn't at all forced. It just seemed to be how the piece wanted to be written. I presume it was to do with large and regular doses of reading, and knowing what works for me and what doesn't.
posted by Alex Bordessa @ Saturday, March 04, 2006
1 Comments:
"it just seemed to be how the piece wanted to be written"
I think that's what Pratchett's theory of narrative causality is getting at; the story has a shape of its own in some way. It's a good feeling when it happens.
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