Susan DeFreitas
Creating more Depth in Revision
- First drafts are necessarily expansive.
- The first draft is about saying “yes” and plunging into the story
– Just say yes, don’t story to reflect, just keep going.
- The first draft reveals what you couldn’t have imagined before you started.
- Don’t overthink or doubt – just let your muse have free reign.
- Critical Thinking starts only at the 2nd draft – not before.
- You need a rubric for deciding – a method of intuition – saying: is it
necessary to go to left field?” If so, don’t hesitate.
- In doubt, there is almost always a deep truth behind the muse - trust
yourself.
- Don’t get paralyzed with incomplete knowledge – plunge ahead anyway,
you can solve it in 2nd draft.
- Most people are either good drafters or revisers – not both.
- 2nd draft should reveal both promise and problems – both will be there,
both are equally valuable, both are needed – the promise gives you clear direction on the manuscript goal and the promise of getting there, but also the impediments and the problems that must be resolved to get there.
- How you can solve problems is the question.
- Character Arc and Theme are the right hand/left hand methods of solution
to the problem, they are the flashlight to illuminate the problems and to light the path to the solution.
- Plot is ‘outside the character’ actions of story, Character Arc is on
the inside thoughts/beliefs/feelings inside the character.
- Plot adds Shape and Direction.
- Character Arc adds Meaning.
- Character Arc – a meaningful journey along a specific trajectory.
- Movies are obvious arcs, novels are subtle, smaller gestures and nuance
Arc ‘believed doomed in love’ ala from parents divorced – put arc/anchor it/locate its inception in piece of backstory.
- Gives arc a stake in life – starts arc at Its Beginning.
- How can get out of his own way in falling in love.
- “In revision” is means “does a specific plot point stay/go.”
- A good way to figure out is to ask if this plot point clearly intersect with the
character arc – does it push on the protagonist? If not, does it belong? In revision, Can you rework it to make it relate? If not, let that plot point go.
- Cohesion and Meaning is the core of the 2nd draft.
- Is it a water-color brushstroke that illuminates the story, nuances – adds
to theme
- Turn each nuance to the same direction from different directions – examine
from different angles and ask if all reflect same theme – different directions add depth and breathe to theme.
- 2nd tool - other staff scene – not usually taken – Theme and focus during
revision.
- When started, you have a deep feeling for why this story motivated you –
ask why this particular one stuck - Identify what it is and why it was/is compelling to you & by writing it you found compelling and meaningful purpose in it.
- Ask yourself – what is that feeling, meaning – why is it so? It is probably
specific to you and the theme and/or the community intersecting with you – is it in the community also?
- Chose the meaningful one, single theme - it needs to be what keeps the
story going.
- It will help in revision - it will give you guidance in deciding which possible
solution to the story problems which most clearly reflect the theme you want to illuminate.
- Turn all the different mirrors to the same plot issue from multiple different
Angles.
- Use the solution that reflects your theme.
- It creates sense of great depth, a sense of meaning, and, ultimately, that
this novel has something to say – that is the magic that can be achieved.