Tayari's Blog: Let The Kids Trash The Joint
Posted by TayariJones on April 21, 2009 03:37 PM
Filed under
This time I am going to take a different approach. I was driving to work and it just hit me: To properly revise you have to be in love with your CHARACTERS, not your STORY.
Let me explain. Sometimes, I will make radical suggestions to my students like-- Try telling the whole thing from the point of view of a different character. Try setting the whole thing in the future, the past.. You get the idea. It never fails that someone will say "But that would be a whole different story!" Yes, it would be, but so what?
I think the goal of revision is to honor your characters by figuring out the best way to get their story onto the page. So often the young writer can get so wrapped up in love for the story that she will try and force the characters into it. To revise, particularly in the first couple drafts, it's best to take the cuffs off your characters. Let them run free in the narrative. Think of them as little kids left unsupervised in the world you've written for them. Don't worry that they will trash the place. That's the point.
![[divider]](http://www.tayarijones.com/images/divider.jpg)
There are 8 comments on "Let The Kids Trash The Joint". If you'd like to leave a comment, click here to jump down to the comments entry form.
Comment #1, by Joy Castro ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tayarijones.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif)
*Really* nice advice. Sound and well put. Terrific!
April 21, 2009 09:20 PM
Comment #2, by michaelTO
That is a great piece of advice. I'm a playwright and I always know I'm not the right path when I'm free enough with my characters that they can be moved around at will. They are not stuck in the story. In the end with this approach they tell me what the story is and not vice versa.
I read your blog every day. It's my first post. Thanks so much for all of your work on writer's behalf.
April 22, 2009 12:14 PM
Comment #3, by Michael Fischer
I enjoyed reading this post! I sometimes wonder if workshops in general place too much emphasis on "story" and "plot." One of my current teachers claims that most revision issues can be addressed through style and language...I'd agree with that, too. A writer who can write good sentences can get away with anything.
April 22, 2009 12:39 PM
Comment #4, by michaelTO
Sorry for the previous typo. I'm wondering about the comment following mine. Isn't language and style of language directly related to character? Can you divorce the two? Just pondering.
April 22, 2009 02:00 PM
Comment #5, by Ladylee
*Lee throws money into Tayari's intannet offering plate*
Good advice, Celie. You always give the best, of course.
(And I need you to move back to Georgia and teach classes here. So I can take a few. Much obliged).
April 22, 2009 05:07 PM
Comment #6, by Michael Fischer
"Isn't language and style of language directly related to character? Can you divorce the two? Just pondering."--MichaelTO
I don't think you can ultimately divorce any of the parts from each other. I guess what I meant is that, in terms of revision focus--in addition to focusing on "character"--I like it when workshop teachers/leaders focus on "style."
April 23, 2009 11:21 AM
Comment #7, by edenza
I just wrote about this very thing. I had a story that was going nowhere, I changed narrators and it just took off. Turned out the story I tried to tell was the wrong story.
April 23, 2009 04:02 PM
Comment #8, by Marie Shield
I really like your views on revision and would appreciate your permission to post this on a private online writer's workshop [currently 36 members] Write Stuff Extreme started 5 years ago - at that time none of us were published, now all of us are; and several of us have started looking for agents. We just finished a terrific class on 'detail'. Classes are free to members and we're hoping to find someone willing to provide a class on revision. Several are beginning new novels and some are in final revision. It is bold of me to ask if you'd consider teaching a class on revision, but the answer is always "no" if one never asks. If you currently have students who show promise and would benefit by being in a workshop [having their work reviewed and reviewing other members] please consider referring them to Write Stuff Extreme. If you would like to check out the site, I'll be more than happy to forward an invitation. [Since it's private no one can access the site without an invitation.]
I'm looking forward to reading your books.
Marie Shield
mizshield@sbcglobal.net
May 13, 2009 11:01 AM