The Value of Deconstruction
Think about something you have a passion for. It can be a hobby; if you're lucky it is what you do for a living. Once you realized you had a serious interest, how did you go about developing it? If your passion is something you do – biking, singing, painting, running, drawing, writing, etc. – there are many depths to which you can indulge it. One common way to become proficient at something is to study the practices, habits, and processes of those who have become accomplished at the discipline already.
Painters may go to museums to study the work of masters to learn about brushwork, colors and blending, light, etc. Athletes can attend games to watch other athletes perform. Actors can attend theater or movies to watch those they admire. Writers have an almost limitless supply of work to study from the authors they enjoy, and in some cases, the authors who have inspired them to pick up the pen (or tap on the keyboard) in the first place.
There are many authors who have inspired me to want to write, but three in particular whose work I find myself coming back to again and again. After enjoying it one more time, I find myself thinking that this is the sort of work I would like to produce. These authors are Raymond Chandler, Robert B. Parker, and Robert Crais. I'm lucky enough to have met the latter a couple of times, and those meetings have confirmed that you can be a great person and write compelling fiction at the same time.
Any writer of fiction has one task they must accomplish on the way to completing a novel. How is the final manuscript structured? This is where the value of deconstruction comes in. What I mean by deconstruction is the analysis of a finished novel in terms of structure. How I do it is to go through the novel chapter by chapter and complete the following table:
Chapter / Day & Time / Characters / Action / Plot Notes
Once the table is complete for the entire novel, it is easy for me to go back and see how the author interwove multiple plot lines, when key characters were introduced, when their backstories were presented, and how plots unfold to dictate the pace of the book. Seeing how this is handled by authors I admire helps me when I sit down to accomplish those same tasks with my own stories. I complete this table for my own work in detail before I start writing the first page. Just by completing this table, I'm able to identify plot holes, character issues, and other problems to fix before the writing ever starts.
Every author has their own process. This is one step that works for me. If it works for you, fantastic! If you have a different process and that's what works for you, go to it and good luck! Produce great work, work that you can be proud of and that others will enjoy!
On a personal note, I have accepted a job offer with a terrific company. It's a traditional career position, and one that will take the majority of my time and energy. It will also provide financial sustenance for my family for the long-term. This means I'll be writing and blogging less, but by no means will I stop. I've always found a way to write. I always will.
Enjoy your week! Thanks for reading! -Jon
