A Work in Progress (Part 1)

Writing is a very unique process. It involves several steps that need to be mastered in order to achieve some semblance of perfection. Most people simply feel that the process involves only sound writing and publishing. They couldn’t be more incorrect.

I feel that in order to be a ‘good writer’, one should conceive some personal process that possesses more than an inkling of editing. This means that it is imperative that writers edit and revise their works before they are published. Mind you, it can be a laborious process, involving self-criticism and internal conflict because the decision to eliminate words from one’s work is often a difficult thing to do.

I am currently at that point. As I continue to write and rewrite my current project, a three act/part play tentatively entitled “A Yellow Summer”, I am faced with the daunting task of having to edit certain aspects that just don’t work. Sure, the work needs it, but it is definitely hard to undertake. It is however taking shape; right now I am working on the third act/part which seems to be the most difficult, for no other reason than because it is the end of the play.

So here I am, writing this new work, and I can’t seem to find an ending. I love the characters, they’re well rounded, and most importantly, their personalities give them the possibility of becoming dynamic characters, meaning they will undergo some significant change. In addition, I feel the story is solid; it is both timely and relevant. I regard it as a modern domestic tragedy, in that the central characters are of a social class that most people can find some relation too. However, with all of this, I still am experiencing some difficulty with the writing of the play.

Sometimes, I feel that each story that we seek to tell is somehow connected to an inner spirit that wants to channel all of the experiences that we as humans face each day. The way, in which our characters speak, carries the voices that we writers possess inside of us. In short, being a good writer means that one is able to articulate the voices of those characters in a way that truly captures the essence of humanity.

But if this connection between the writer and their characters is to exist, or for that matter function within the context of a work of literature, it is important that there be some form of revision. No one, I and I mean no one, is able to clearly capture the voices of characters in one draft! Now don’t get me wrong, I know that there are a great number of writers in this world that have honed their craft to the point where there could achieve in one draft that which I speak of. But despite that fact, I still feel that any writer, regardless of their abilities must take a second, or perhaps even a third or fourth look at their work before they publish it. Doing this (among a few other things) will only help them to get one step closer to that which we all want...to be called a ‘good writer’.