Footprints
Everything these days has a footprint:
Buildings
Homes
Gardens
Carbon Footprints
Footprints in the Sand
Starting to sound like a Top 10 :)
Today I'm talking about footprints on our manuscripts. Not the Arf and Woof kind when that stack of pages fell on the floor, but our own footprints pressed onto the pages by our words.
An editor says, "I need a story about a boy and his dog." One writer produces Clifford the Big Red Dog. Another, Old Yeller.
If the editor handed each of those writers the other's manuscript and said, "Something's missing here. Fix it," imagine how different each of those books would be.
Our footprints are beyond voice. They are everything we bring to the table. Our experiences. Our loves, our hates. Our personal points of view. Even when we write in the viewpoints of our characters, we are still the writers of our stories. It's possible to blur our footprints, especially if we're writing to strict guidelines or in deep point of view; but in my opinion, it's impossible to hide them.
Don't believe me? Ask ten people to complete a sentence, or even to fill in more than one blank in a sentence. You will not receive ten identical answers.
Unless you ask ten of your neighbors to fill in the blank of I live in (city, state). Or something similar.
But you knew what I meant.
Right?
Buildings
Homes
Gardens
Carbon Footprints
Footprints in the Sand
Starting to sound like a Top 10 :)
Today I'm talking about footprints on our manuscripts. Not the Arf and Woof kind when that stack of pages fell on the floor, but our own footprints pressed onto the pages by our words.
An editor says, "I need a story about a boy and his dog." One writer produces Clifford the Big Red Dog. Another, Old Yeller.
If the editor handed each of those writers the other's manuscript and said, "Something's missing here. Fix it," imagine how different each of those books would be.
Our footprints are beyond voice. They are everything we bring to the table. Our experiences. Our loves, our hates. Our personal points of view. Even when we write in the viewpoints of our characters, we are still the writers of our stories. It's possible to blur our footprints, especially if we're writing to strict guidelines or in deep point of view; but in my opinion, it's impossible to hide them.
Don't believe me? Ask ten people to complete a sentence, or even to fill in more than one blank in a sentence. You will not receive ten identical answers.
Unless you ask ten of your neighbors to fill in the blank of I live in (city, state). Or something similar.
But you knew what I meant.
Right?
Comments
Totally off the subject, just remembered your love of animals--and thrill to think how you share that bond with me.
Our foreign exchange students have fallen in love with our Humane Society Laura. So cool to see Hong Kong kids see dogs in a different light than as menacing guard dogs!
P
Conda - I've heard the same thing about titles. As if we all zone in on the same thought.
Helen - Go for it!
Alex - Exactly.
Karen - Joy? More like darn hard work.
CD
Lee
Tossing It Out
Kathy - I don't have the magic answer for you. The best I can do is say always be true to your characters.
VR - "Writing is art unique to the writer." What a great comment. Definitely quote worthy. Thanks for leaving it here at the Tiki Hut.
Carol - I loved VR's comment, too. See above - LOL. I'm glad we could make your brain work. Thanks for commenting.
Holly - Yup.
Arlee - That's what I think, too. And also why we like some authors' work more than others. We're all different.
Kimberly - Oh, no ... I have to put my mind in gear :)