Looking, Thinking, And Writing It Down

They say Agatha Christie acted out all of her books while plotting them out, including when washing the dishes. I think she was doing more than working out the story. Agatha was looking for plot holes.

Don’t allow writing to intimidate you. If the greatest mystery writer of all time, in my opinion, had to fix stuff, so will you. Perspective can help.

In writing, it helps you see your writing from different angles. Framing a story is a lot like framing a character in a mystery. You want it to be believable.

I think one way to do this, is to look at your piece, not only as a writer, but a reader. If you weren’t telling the story, what would grab you about it? What would a reader see?

None of this is about overthinking writing. It’s about not taking yourself too seriously. It’s about viewing through the lens of common sense.

What story am I telling? Where am I going with it? How do I tell it in a way that makes the reader want to come along?

At this point in your writing, it helps to remember the story you want to tell. It can drift in the writing process. Sometimes that’s good, sometimes it’s bad, depending on the story. Either way, keeping your perspective will help your writing.

Next it helps to remember where you want the story to end up. Much like in life, remembering both where you came from, and your dreams, helps keep your writing grounded. It helps you see plot holes you might otherwise overlook.

The third question, how to get the reader to come along. You want the reader to realize there’s more to the story than they’re seeing right now. The next thing is to make it intriguing enough for them to keep reading.

It’s about continuity in a story. You want the project to flow. So that, if even the unexpected happens, it fits within the tone of the story.

Think of perspective as a camera angle, smooth transitions tell a story well. Remember that the reader doesn’t have the knowledge of where they’re going in the story. Looking from their angle helps keep you from the trap of assumption.

Don’t assume the reader sees what you, as the writer, sees. Writing is about seeing as the writer, and seeing as a reader. It’s not as hard as it seems.

You’ve been a reader all your life, seeing that way is natural. Only remember to look at your writing as if someone else wrote it. Then ask yourself what’s missing?

Once you know, as the reader what’s missing, answer as the writer. Remember writing isn’t hard, it’s like everything else. It’s about looking, thinking, and writing it down.