Weaving At A Loom
Weavers create beautiful rugs, table runners, and fabrics to be used in many projects. They use threads of all kinds that make fabric art admired by so many. Writers are like weavers in some respects. The aim of both is to begin with bits and pieces and finish with a work of art.
To create a story, writers gather various threads. Each one alone is not terribly impressive, but put them all together, and you have a complete story. I'm using 'story' as an overall term, but it can include memoir, even a personal essay. Writers weave these threads in myriad patterns. What kind of threads?
Consider each point in this list as a thread:
- Characters
- Emotions
- Dialogue
- Sensory Images
- Time and Place
- Plot
- Theme
If you omit any of the threads above, your story will be lacking something, and it probably won't be a 5-star read. Every one of the items listed is important to your story. How you weave them is the writer's choice. You can go heavier with one thread and lighter on another; do what works for you.
The important thing is to actually lace the parts together in a manner that makes for a good read. Spend too much time on any one without the others and you have a big blob of words.
Suppose you are in bed some night, unable to sleep. A story idea begins to take shape in your mind. Plot is most likely the first thread you pluck. Another early one is the characters. You find another thread when you decide on a time and place where your story occurs. You'll pull those other threads as you begin to tell your tale. Once you're up and at your favorite writing spot, you'll put those threads together to tell your story.
You'll also have to undo some of the threads when they don't look or feel right to you. Move them to a new place in the story. You can create and recreate over and over until you feel you have the best piece you can write. I'm sure weavers undo some of what they have woven when they aren't satisfied with color or texture or pattern. We are much alike in that respect.
Use all the threads it takes and all the time you need to weave your story until it reaches your satisfaction.
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