Writing is rewriting.
Revision and rewriting
- Rewriting is not just rewriting
- It ‘s rethinking, reconceptualizing and approaching new things.
In media res
Rethink:
Perspective
Structure
(sequence of things)
obstacles
character’s behaviour
actions/ speech
Everyone should at least try and rewrite their stories 5 times
You will never find out what is really in you until you rewrite and rewrite
This doesn’t mean just polishing phrases
TIP
Study your story, see it with a new vision and changed values
Write it afresh
Then maybe scrap it, start all over again – don’t be afraid to do this!
After this, then you can begin “polishing”
Finding expressions with character, dialogue that has rhythm.
It may take 2 or more versions to bring out the full colour of the characters or yourself.
Reflect on this!!
The inclination of the egoist is to get as much as he can, but at the same time not to change.
The final draft
1) read with a fixed eye
re read through your story carefully
focus on a particular aspect each time, ie, character, location, action, etc.
Ask yourself:
Is the protagonist ALWAYS the focus of the story?
Is he/she doing anything or is everyone else always doing stuff around him/her?
Is he/she even there?
1) the chainsaw is your friend
now is the time to look at script economy
why have your reader dying to finish after 4 pages when they could be craving for more after 2?
Ask yourself:
Where do my scene begin? Where do they end?
Cliffhanger makes audience want to know more
Can six lines be said in three?
Can I trim the fat? Can I cut the exposition? Can I tell it visually instead?
2) crank it up!
-the stakes are high – can they be higher?
Would Oh Daesu’s plight be as bad if it wasn’t his daughter he had slept with?
More to lose = more dramatic tension
Does everything matter enough? Can everything matter more?
(Does the situation matter enough to the characters? If it matters more to the characters, the characters will matter more to the audience.)
am I giving my characters hell? If it fun to see them squirm and satisfying enough when they get out of it?
Last week
interactive location
vivid characters
dynamic action
Library
Su alone vandalizing. Library provides a secret location for su to vandalise. 2nd scene, tess was sleeping. Su left her book there and walk away and left her coat on tess too. The library offers privacy.
Bus
First time they brought out autograph book. Prompt su to bring out autograph book for tessa to sign, tessa didn’t want to sign, su takes it as an offence that su doesn’t want to sign because the bus was shaky because tessa’s tone was really bad.
Field
Public area, everyone can see everyone and who they are with.
Classroom
Teacher and classmates. Su and tess arguing. Su asks someone else to sign her book. Public humilation to let everyone else know.
Staff room
Teacher and sulin. Put it in staff room for privacy issues. Teacher nice, unlikely to reprimand in public.
