Patterns

Putting a creative work together is like putting together a dress or some cherished garment. For the extremely creative, no pattern is needed. There simply has to be a grand idea in mind. It reminds me of two of my sisters who were able to make coats and even intricate wedding dresses without a pattern. They could design a pattern from newspaper and create a beautiful masterpiece.

But, I need a pattern to guide me because I am still a novice at sewing. I also think of the Proverb that reminds us to “Measure twice, cut once.” We know that when cutting the material, there is no room for error. Little can be done to salvage a piece of cloth, once it has been cut.

As in writing, sometimes there is a designed plan or outline. I wrote my first two fiction works from a plan or a blueprint. But we writers know that once the writing process gets underway, the magic pen has a way of taking over and some unexpected detours occur which even surprise us. Yet, there was still a pattern, so to speak, to follow.

But as we evolve and our confidence in our craft soars, we may write without a definite plan. We then fall into the same category as my highly creative sisters who had the ability to design a work of art from the images that they saw in their minds’ eye. They were comparable to Michelangelo who saw the beautiful sculpture in the marble block.

So this time around, I am taking the snippets of conversations and scenarios from my characters as they reveal themselves. I am working without a definite plan or pattern and not quite sure where they will end up, but I know that it will be in a good place.

I will continue to work like a seamstress. I will take the pieces of writings, lay them out on a huge surface and jumble the pieces around until each part finds it right place. It may take time and patience and some areas may have to be revised more than once, but it will all eventually come together. Hopefully, the final product will be an entertaining, readable work ready to showcase to the world, just like a nicely handcrafted dress!

Lynn

June 1, 2015