This week saw me spinning more than most, for both work and leisure. Yet telling a story is no mean feat. There are so many parts to puzzle through. Every writer has their own methods. Tips and tricks of the trade or just the ones up their sleeves.
Mine changes all the time. It depends on the tale and the form it will take, as you can see below.
A poem requires a lighter touch and a heavier heart. Maybe tinged with strong libations. A journalistic piece calls for the solitude and silence of the witching hour. Don't forget your Strunk and White to keep up with the simple stringer style.
A short story, the same as above. Drop in a Webster thesaurus for a seesaw of Germanic or Latin.
A novel is one form I will forego. It takes a marathon runner, plenty of liquids, and a lively imagination. And I can only score one out of the three. Guess which.
A picture book is my newest endeavor. It takes all the other forms, wraps them up into a tiny parcel of about 32 pages to be filled with a modicum of restraint, a pinch of decorum, and a plunge into the memories of childhood to remember what an 8-year-old thinks about.
So pick your pen, paper, and poison. And I'll see you at the next literary watering hole.
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