learning to let go

There was an interview over on the BookEnds blog the other day that really struck me. I've been working to try to find the best method of telling my story, without giving up any of the back story. It's the last paragraph when the author talks about how attached to their writing writers get. And this is so true! No matter how much you tell yourself a certain scene slows down pacing, there's always that one line that seems so beautifully crafted that it just has to stay in. And since it can't fit anywhere else, well...looks like that scene's staying.

In my short story, I've found it difficult to let go of the larger story. In the novel, there are more characters, more relationships and the relationships are much more defined. And it's hard, in my mind, to let go of those relationships once the characters are gone. It is very hard, because you work so long on a certain story, a certain direction, that it's difficult to give that all up.

But it works better for the story. And that's what's important. You want to make sure that your story is clear and that all the little nuances fit and work for the reader. They'll work for the writer because the writer has all the back stories that are no longer there. So now I have some decisions to make and many words to write. And the importance of readers (hopefully friends who will be nice since they're critiquing all your loving hours) is illustrated again.