A Necessary Partnership

Write your first draft with your heart. Re-write with your head. ~ From the movie Finding Forrester




I read this on a webpage dedicated to quotes by authors on the subject of writing.  While I have never seen the movie, the quote resonated with me.  It is exactly what I try to do in my own writing and what I try to teach my students.  It suggests that necessary balance between passion and convention.






We must write with our hearts at the beginning.  It is within the emotion of our heart that the essence of a story takes place.  We don't say, after reading something amazing, "That really touched my mind."  No, it is our hearts that are touched, that are reached, by the depth of joy, the hilarity of circumstance, the tragedy of loss.  And we must tap into that when we are telling our stories so that others may experience it as well.




Often when I am writing, I can "see" the scene unfold.  I watch the characters' actions, and emote their feelings, and before I know it, I've put several hundred words on a page.  I have heard writers say its as if the words just flowed from their minds onto the page.  I would suggest that that first outpouring of story actually comes from our hearts.






But as the quotation reads, we cannot rest there.  Just as the essence of a story comes from our hearts, the word choice, the grammar usage, the correct spelling and punctuation, come from our minds.  Or a thesaurus.  Or The Chicago Manual of Style .  




The point is, we cannot always trust that what our hearts felt is portrayed correctly on the page.  We must use our minds to go back and methodically analyze each sentence.  Its not particularly fun, and sometimes when searching for the exact right word, it can be extremely frustrating.  But it is vital if we want a story that others will read.  Because while the essence of a story touches our emotions, it is the editing of a work that affects our reader's mind.  And if he sees error after error on a page, his mind will not get past that to allow the heart to feel the emotions.




So, yes.  Be creative.  Write with your heart.  Share your passion.  And rewrite.  Edit.  Study the rules of convention.  Apply them to your story.  Then you will have something truly amazing!







Happy writing,




Karina Harris

author and educator

www.karinaharrisauthor.com



















Lonely Hearts ~ a sweet Christian Romance
The Price of Trust ~ Christian Romantic Suspense
http://www.booksbyamanda.com