Writing metaphors
I think a lot about writing, as most writers do, probably. I think about the process, the spark of inspiration, the flow of words, and how I make this grey squishy thing in my skull do what feels like magic to me so much of the time.
It's not magic, though, of course. It's hard, mindful work. It's hard to describe the process of pulling words out of my head and putting them in order on the page, and I revert a lot to metaphors when I talk about it.
stoney321 often talks about writing in terms of sculpture, where you have a lump of stone or clay and chip away at it 'til you have the image you want. I think about it like sculpture, too, but more in the sense of building an armature in my first draft - the metal bones of the sculpture - and then fleshing it out - like with clay, but with words - as I work through it in subsequent passes. I layer more and more on until it's a full person and not a bare skeleton, smoothing, pulling, extending, and shaping until it's all there and looks just so.
Another metaphor I've been thinking about lately, though, is that of a wild animal wrangler, something like Steve Irwin. Sometimes I have to pull that damn fic out of its muddy hole, throw it on the ground, and hold onto it with everything I have as it thrashes and tries to throw me off. I don't need to coax it or finesse it; I need to conquer its living essence as I write while it struggles to stop me. And finally, finally it tires itself out and calms, and I'm able to put it where I want it on the page.
So now I'm curious. What are your metaphors for writing?
(And, for those interested, my 5x13 fic is 8k words and counting; I'm still wrangling and putting on clay, but I expect to be finished tomorrow.)
It's not magic, though, of course. It's hard, mindful work. It's hard to describe the process of pulling words out of my head and putting them in order on the page, and I revert a lot to metaphors when I talk about it.
stoney321 often talks about writing in terms of sculpture, where you have a lump of stone or clay and chip away at it 'til you have the image you want. I think about it like sculpture, too, but more in the sense of building an armature in my first draft - the metal bones of the sculpture - and then fleshing it out - like with clay, but with words - as I work through it in subsequent passes. I layer more and more on until it's a full person and not a bare skeleton, smoothing, pulling, extending, and shaping until it's all there and looks just so.
Another metaphor I've been thinking about lately, though, is that of a wild animal wrangler, something like Steve Irwin. Sometimes I have to pull that damn fic out of its muddy hole, throw it on the ground, and hold onto it with everything I have as it thrashes and tries to throw me off. I don't need to coax it or finesse it; I need to conquer its living essence as I write while it struggles to stop me. And finally, finally it tires itself out and calms, and I'm able to put it where I want it on the page.
So now I'm curious. What are your metaphors for writing?
(And, for those interested, my 5x13 fic is 8k words and counting; I'm still wrangling and putting on clay, but I expect to be finished tomorrow.)