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Layers of Transformation and Depth – Repeat – Repeat – Repeat

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I’ve wrapped up the first draft of book one (about 130 pages), and I’ve got this nagging feeling that there will be no end to revisions. I’m moving on now to book two, but I know, in the back of my mind, that I need to return to this first book with:

  • more details in various places (specifically, technology and the speech style of certain characters)
  • setting up certain scenes in more dynamic, engaging ways
  • opportunities for tension-tightening in certain areas

It sounds simple, but I keep finding more revisions to add to the list. Not to mention, I’ve already been through a few rounds.

This reinforces my belief, of course, that most great art is brought about through the use of layers. When I refer to layers in fiction, I mean to say this going over the text repeatedly to add and transform, and essentially to add depth. There is a direct comparison, I believe with painting.

The Big Scene: In the Thick

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I am nearing the end of book one (of which there will be two or three), and I am ending it with the “big scene.” This is the scene that inspired the entire novel. It was one of the first images I saw in my head when conceiving the story, and it has been the primary driver in creating the rest of the world, its characters and its sub-plots.

And let me tell you, it is sheer thrill. Much more so than if I had written it first. Because now, as characters act and cause great change, I understand the impact of those actions, I understand the nuances, and I suspect, I hope, the reader will too. It is a writing experience charged with passion and adrenalin (mine).

Enough. I’m getting back to the thrill.