After getting the basic story down on paper and completing the first draft, a brief period of rest aids in subconscious processing before beginning a subsequent draft. After resting the author moves on to active crafting and editing of the story.
After Completing the First Draft
- Take a Break
- Push the Limits
- Polish the Story
Take a Break
Take a brief period of rest from actively working on the completed first draft of a story. This time can be spent working on a previous or new writing project or as a break from writing. Writers who do both fiction and nonfiction, short and long works, may switch between different types of writing in order to rest certain creative muscles while exercising others.
During this rest period, the author's subconscious will continue to process the story. An otherwise elusive theme or universal appeal may present itself as well as the writer's underlying reasons for writing the story. These elements can be highlighted during the editing process.
Push the Limits
When returning to a completed first draft, begin by reading the story from beginning to end. Refrain from editing at this point, but keep a notepad at hand for jotting down any ideas that occur during the read-through, including opportunities for limit-pushing edits such as raising the stakes, pushing the characters, and using the setting to full advantage.
Identify what is at stake in the story. What does the main character stand to lose? Raise the character's personal stakes, as well as the story's larger stakes, to the ultimate height. What is the worst possible thing the character could lose? Push that limit.
Push emotions. Fully authenticate the characters' emotional expressions by invoking similar situations and writing from that place.
Use the setting to its full advantage in supporting and reinforcing what is happening for the characters. Settings reinforce ambient moods when descriptive choices reflect the characters' emotional tones. Carefully choose complementary similes and metaphors.
Polish the Story
Put on the finishing touches. Check that the characters have used authentic emotional expressions. Read over the story looking for areas where the setting can be better used to reflect moods and where thematic elements can be drawn out using symbols or repetition.
It is time to put on that last finishing touch when every story element and every character has been pushed to its absolute limits. When the main character has faced his or her worst possible loss and has moved beyond that, the story can finally come to a satisfying conclusion.
For more tips on advanced writing techniques, see the free online course: You Can Write A Novel in Thirty Days.
 |
