Moon Bright Raven
I reread books. I revisit my old friends, the characters that make me feel, make me think, characters that step up even though the odds are stacked in the villain’s favour. A story that firmly places me in the action and surroundings is a story with heart.
Writers can find themselves stuck with a chapter or passage that carries no energy. Perhaps this section of writing is important to move the story to the next event. But the brakes have locked. The stream of action is mired.
Think about your favourite stories What is it about these stories that keeps you coming back? Even though you know what’s going to happen, you revisit the book or movie. A good story has the power to draw us in, feel and engage. But how to infuse that energy into their own writing?
Cast back to the inspiration that started the story that you are writing, that nugget of passion. There’s a theme there, an energy. That is where the magic resides. The joy of writing is when that energy infuses the story. With that in mind, rewrite the passage.
For me, writing is like painting. I won’t stop until the painting works. This could mean many layers of paint. Because each painting is different, it requires different skills, so I learn as I go along. When writing, if the passage doesn’t sing, stay with it.
One of my favourite books is a series by Mary Stewart, ‘The Crystal Cave’, ‘The Hollow Hills’, and ‘The last Enchantment.’ (I’m a King Arthur buff). I reread the series about every five years having done so since 1980. I never tire of the story. Another good Arthur series is by Jack Whyte, Beginning with ‘The Sky Stone”.
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