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69-24 Story Medicine

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.

 

 

 

 

Rev Dr E. William (Liam) Petter    -   e-mail: liam@ewpetter.net    -    Address: 2831 El Dorado Pkwy, Ste 103-443, Frisco, Tx 75033

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