Thursday, September 15, 2011

Unexpected Surprises!

... Lessons in Picking Blackberries #3 ...

I went out to pick blackberries this morning,



but look at what I found in my berry patch:


What a delight that unexpected surprise brought to me!

It reminded me of an article I read in WRITER'S DIGEST titled "The Geyser Approach to Revision" by James Scott Bell. He suggested overwriting "... for a few minutes without stopping ..." because "Intentionally overwriting brings up all manner of surprises, most of which you'll not use. But in the pile you'll pull out a gem that you will want to keep" (page 23).

So, if you're stuck on a scene, description, voice, or whatever, try letting your imagination loose for a few minutes. Go crazy overwriting the problem section. Who knows, maybe you'll find some unexpected surprises!

:)
Happy Writing.
...

What is your favorite revision tip?

6 comments:

  1. Those look yummy! Great suggestion on the revision front as well.

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  2. Yes, going that extra mile to brainstorm more ideas is usually worth it. I have a hard time doing it because so much gets thrown away (and I hate that part), but what's left over is worth it's weight in gold.

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  3. Agreed! Sometimes I just turn off the inner editor and write whatever. SO many unexpected things happen! Love it.

    And now I am soooo hungry! Yum!

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  4. That's an interesting idea. Go crazy and see what's left over :)

    Also, those berries look sooo good. I want to live at your house!

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  5. Mmmm good. I'm from Florida and I love those berries. I love writing unexpected, surprisingly romantic scenes. Sometimes even the protagonist is surprised. Hehehe.

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