Picture This: Writing and Editing with Creative Vision

Authors often picture the story they’re writing in their head; the hard part is conveying that exact image to the reader. The mind soars in thought as our keyboard or pen attempt to catch that racing stream of images and words. How is it humanly possible to create this vision as an author and how can an editor assist with the process?

Creative writing is a process. It is not simply one task to undertake and complete. The first step is getting your thoughts down, whether it is on a computer or on paper. I find it handy to keep notebooks throughout the house and in my car for spontaneous moments of word flow. Thoughts do not flow in complete sentences they must be structured later. Write whatever comes to mind without thinking of spelling or grammar.

Have you ever noticed an amazing cloud formation, sunset, tree, person, or setting, which truly forced you to stop and think? Write down exactly what you are thinking and feeling even if you must pull into the next parking lot or safely along the roadside. The choice of words and your description may be lost if not penned immediately. Dreams should be noted in this fashion upon awakening, when the dream is fresh and still visible. When you are ready to work on your book you’ll have these notes to incorporate into your manuscript.

Pause for a moment and recall a favorite book or author you admire. Imagine that same book without the use of two descriptive senses, sight and smell. The result would be quite boring. Often, we take our senses for granted. Possibly the reason author Laura Ingalls Wilder was able to write with creative vision stemmed from her sister Mary’s blindness. Mary relied on Laura for her descriptions of the world around her. Her choice of words and visualization would later come to play as she penned her life story.

A good editor will ask questions about a manuscript. They may suggest adding creative touches. These requests may trigger a thought or memory and breathe new life into a paragraph. The suggestions are meant to enhance what is already written.

For example, an editor reading the passage in a manuscript about a woman experiencing a heart attack may ask the author questions if the passage simply read, “ she felt like she was having a heart attack because her chest hurt and it was hard to catch her breath.” An editor may ask for a more detailed description by comparing the chest pressure to an imaginable weight, such as a heavy object, being deep in the ocean, or another visualization. “ Her lungs felt as though they were being crushed by a car masher, each breath more labored and exhausting, consciousness wavered as she became increasingly certain this was a heart attack.” The renewed sentence allows the reader to experience this passage completely.

Nature surrounds us daily and should be incorporated into writing to provide a complete picture for the reader. As you write, consider adding small features. A lone dandelion in a green grassy field, a broken branch hanging barely attached after a storm, the tiny chip in a tooth, or the smell of a bakery’s products carried by the breeze are all examples of how to enrich a story with visual wording.

Emotions are much more than tears on a cheek or a clenched jaw. Emotional words allow the reader to feel the expression or reaction of a character. It’s been scientifically documented that body temperature alters with varied emotions. Think of anger, stress or frustration and the way a body reacts to this. Does your face become hot, your upper lip beaded with sweat, your hands tightened and clammy?

The turn of the century stories often referred to women fainting, why? Breathing can turn shallow during emotional reactions, thus causing lack of oxygen, and combining that problem with lung restrictive corsets explains the common effect of fainting. Adding the emotional touch to a story leaves the reader feeling the anger, sadness, or even breathlessness of the intended character.

Does creative writers block ever occur? Certainly, possibly more often than traditional writers block and there you are, stumped with uninspired text and boring dialog. Acting may offer a solution: role-playing. Often an actor must draw out a past experience to create a convincing reaction for his character. A happy reaction may emerge from a pleasant memory; likewise an angry memory could arise when recalling a school bully. If possible, ask a friend for assistance, and explain the current situation. Their choice of words, facial expression, or body language may be the key to unlock your writer’s block.

Creativity is not so much learned as it is experienced. All writers add a bit of their real life experience in each manuscript, consciously or unconsciously. Observing the world around us can create a new vocabulary and stimulate the imaginative tool in our brains. Editors assist authors with their insight and visionary expertise, helping to draw out the best of both minds. Together authors and editors enhance the manuscript into enjoyable reading pleasure for the intended audience.

by Michelle Hall American Book Publishing Editor