THE SCULPTOR OR THE POTTER
We are all familiar with the distinctive writing styles of The Plotter and The Pantser. The easy definitions are The Plotter meticulously outlines their forthcoming story, creates character biographies, maps out plot with rising and falling action, and may even go so far as to use index cards, a dry erase board, or the last technology. The Pantser flies by the seat of their pants.
I have described myself as somewhat of a hybrid. I have come up with a story line. I identify the primary characters. I have a faint notion of the ultimate resolution. The writing itself is mostly along the lines of a Pantser in that I allow the story to grow organically, in essence, listen to the characters tell their story. This concept is perplexing to some readers who believe that all fiction falls under the Plotter category.
However, in reviewing how I have written in the past, I have also determined two other distinct types of writers: The Sculptor and The Potter. These are my own designations as they relate to the Art world of which writing is firmly imbedded.
Sculptors take large pieces of raw material. They chip away at it, soften, refine, create curves and angles. They can see the final form from a large block of marble or other stone. The raw material is large, almost cumbersome. But the process involves refining.
The Potter sits diligently at a wheel. His raw material, wet clay, is handled either roughly to create a form or gingerly to shape it. Additional pieces of clay are added to, let’s say, add a handle to a water pitcher or another character in a display.
There are writers whose initial draft is 80, 90, or in excess of 100,000 words. This is especially true of those in the fantasy genre where elaborate worldbuilding is required. The aspects of a completely new society, if you will, have to be established. To what degree it supports the actual story is governed by the writer who typically chips away at that first draft, attempting to find a balance between identifying the environment and having the characters react and respond within that environment. I call these writers, of any genre, Sculptors.
I find that I have fallen into the role of the Potter. My singular goal in a first draft is to get to a minimum of 50,000. I know I won’t remain there. My second and third drafts are used to identify where the story can be fleshed out, not necessarily with colorful prose to describe surroundings, but more to show the main character’s deeper responses to the events as they happen. I clarify and tighten timelines. I attempt to ensure a character is not simply a deus ex machina. I build up the whole over the bones of the story.
These descriptions are not currently in popular parlance. However, it would be worth a discussion to see where other writers fall within these parameters. So, how about it: Are you a Sculptor or a Potter?
