Building Bridges is Slow Work
I’m enjoying Holly’s current series on plotting with backstory. Be sure to check out her entire series here: Holly Schindler Storyteller . At the core of her discussion is the process of story engineering. And, in fact, connected to this is the fine art of revision. Remember that old marching song: 99 bottles of beer on the wall 99 bottles of beer Take one down, and pass it around, 98 bottles of beer on the wall. Its repetitive melody helps you find your rhythm when hiking trails or jumping ropes. It’s an ear worm that keeps you steady when the task at hand seems monumentally tedious. It diverts your attention from the monotony to the goal. That’s what I feel when I revise. When I finish a first draft, breathing a sigh of relief and accomplishment, I move on to the first revision. Only to discover another plot hole. A character acts out of character. First person slips into third person. Or worse, the history is wrong. I write a blend of historical fiction and American fantasy,
