On Looking Closer
One of my favourite moments in writing is the ah-ha—that moment when something suddenly clicks. You realize something about a character you hadn't seen before, understand why a particular moment matters, or finally see something in your story clearly enough that you know what to do with it.
And suddenly, you're excited to write again.
I've seen this happen a lot in the Write Things Community. Sometimes all it takes is the right question or prompt, something that invites a writer to look at their story from a slightly different angle, and suddenly they see something they hadn't seen before.
Those discoveries aren't just fun. They can make writing a whole lot easier.
We tend to think about persistence in writing as forward motion. Keep writing. Keep adding words. Keep moving toward the end.
And sometimes, absolutely, that's what we need to do. Writing itself is one of the best ways to uncover our stories. We put our characters into scenes, make choices, follow ideas, and see what happens. We don't have to know everything before we begin. Often, we write precisely because we don't know, and the story reveals itself as we go.
But sometimes we find ourselves stuck. We start avoiding the manuscript. We keep returning to the same pages and revising them instead of moving forward. Or we sit down to write and find ourselves paralyzed by all the things we haven't quite figured out yet.
When that happens, it might be worth trying something different.
Instead of pushing forward, spend some time getting to know the part of your story that still feels uncertain.
Because there's a difference between understanding something generally and seeing it precisely. We might know a character is insecure, for example, but not yet understand what insecurity looks like for this particular person. The more precisely we understand our characters, settings, conflicts and other elements of our stories, the more we have available to us when we write.
That's a win in a few different ways.
It helps us write more specifically in the first place, potentially saving us some work when we eventually revise. It removes a little of the uncertainty that can make sitting down at the page feel so difficult. And perhaps most importantly, discovering something new about our stories can make us excited about writing them again.
So, if there's a character in your story you don't quite see yet, give this a try:
Someone who knows your character well sees them across a crowded room—but can't see their face. How do they know it's them?
Set a timer for five or ten minutes and just let your pen move. Don't worry about getting it right. See what comes up.
Maybe you discover something about how your character moves, what they wear, or what they do with their hands. Now you have something more specific to work with when you're describing them. And sometimes those little discoveries unlock something deeper, too—a glimpse into their confidence, their desires, their preferences or their fears.
If something surprises you, share what you discover in the comments below. I'd love to hear what comes up.
And you can do this with any part of your story that you don't quite understand yet. Spend some time questioning it. Wondering about it. Write into it if you want to. You can explore a motivation, a secret, a relationship, a setting, a conflict—or whatever else still feels blurry.
You may not find the final answer immediately, and that's okay. Nothing you discover has to be permanent either. If you keep writing and discover something that fits your story even better, great. You've gotten closer.
Persistence doesn't always mean driving ahead. Sometimes it means staying curious about the story you're trying to tell and spending a little time with the parts you don't quite understand yet.
You might find yourself seeing your story more clearly than you did before, with a little less uncertainty about what comes next.
And, hopefully, a lot more excitement to write it.
Wishing you and your stories all the best,
Trevor
P.S. If you've been wondering what actually happens when you're ready to publish your book—or you're curious about the different paths available to you—I'd love to have you join me for Demystifying Self-Publishing with FriesenPress.
It's free to attend and happening Wednesday, September 9, from 6:30–7:30 p.m. CDT via Zoom. We'll talk about self-publishing and hybrid publishing and help you better understand the options available to you and your book.
And there's a pretty great bonus: one attendee will receive a free manuscript evaluation valued at $499.
It's a great opportunity to learn more about what publishing could look like for you—and potentially get some valuable professional feedback on your manuscript along the way.
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