Re-Vision Your Story
Like a river, the quality of our story depends upon the elements flowing in. Until now, most of us have let anything into our stories, choosing fate and happenstance rather than a mindful stewardship or our tale.
By identifying the elements of narrative – setting, point of view, dialog, character, plot – and revising those elements, we can be active participants in crafting our narrative. We can tell the story as it is now, and revise it into the story we want to tell. We can reroute our story, avoiding pollution, and change details to reflect the story we’re happy with.
Revision is a new look at the story. Re-Vision.
But revision can seem overwhelming.
And a pain.
And those are my babies! My words, my thoughts!
But the current vision somehow still doesn’t feel right. And it’s so BIG!
The very thought of revision will send even the most experienced writers into a momentary paralysis — aka writer’s block.
But the story must be revised.
Revision is accomplished step-by-step, word-by-word, element-by-element.
Begin with your setting. What’s in your setting right now? What doesn’t belong? What could take its place? Be very specific. Be aware of details. Spend a few moments in your setting without distractions. Re-Vision it — see it through the eyes of a visitor. What things would someone else notice? Someone you admire? Should those details be there or not? Are they contributing to a story with a healthy ecosystem or are those details adding to the pollution?
Cut and add, add and cut. Re-Vision for a healthy, vital story.
