—From "County Fairs," October 1997, National Geographic magazine Photograph by Randy Olson
Paty called me this morning. She without internet this morning. They have lightening and she thinks it may have hit her transformer. So, I’m posting today. She’ll post tomorrow.
I grew up in a county known for it’s annual Pig N Ford races. They began in 1925. Imagine five goggled men scrambling from one side of the dusty horse racetrack, each grabbing a twenty pound piglet out of a big wooden bin, dashing to their model-T, starting their antiquated vehicle by hand, cranking the engine with a squirming hog under their arm. Once started they jump into the drivers seat and head around the track, carrying their squealing partner in their arm. Round completed they stop the jalopy, kill the engine, return their high-pitched noise maker to the bin, grab another baby pig and repeat the same process a total of three times.
One contestant always manages to lose his piglet. Man and beast engage in a new short-term picture snapping event. A wild pattern of zigging and zagging down the track ensues and ends in a wrestling match. The crowd cheers the duo. Back in the strong arms of his triumphant surrogate parent the wayward animal, still in protest, wiggles and shrieks.
We can apply the art of writing to the same game principles. You strap on your thinking cap. Dig into your pen of ideas, grasping a handful of notes and tote the precious darlings against your heart on your accelerated dash to your laptop. Push the necessary buttons to crank-start your computer, hop into your chair, and hope your characters won’t scream and squeal at the turning points, black moment and resolution you’ve manipulated and implemented for them to perform.
Plan in motion you steer through the first draft avoiding backstory, charging through each scene and chapter. You stop, take a deep breath and dig deeper into your pen of plot ideas. Another circle through your book you fill in those pesky sinking holes, dangling participles, adjectives and adverbs. For added enhancement and clarity you ordain a few descriptive phrases and finish the second round, each scene enriched. On the final lap you fine tune your manuscript adding or subtracting words, polish any lingering rusty spots and jaunt to the finish line.
Did you embrace your characters to the end, or do you need to chase them down across the pages? Do you need to tackle their protests with pitch-perfect proses, wrap a tighter sentence structure around their scenes and convince them they need to join you at the finish line?
What rules do you apply to your writing game in your race to the finish line?
6 comments:
Lori -- It's absolutely amazing to me how many processes are metaphors for writing. I think of writing when I think of planting, nurturing, pruning and harvesting a garden. I think of writing when I think of raising a child or falling in love or learning how to cook. All these activities take an investment in time, skill, patience and endurance. As does writing.
But I never thought of writing in terms of Pig N Ford races (let's be honest, I had no idea such a thing existed.) Where did you grow up, anyway?
Cute blog and the answer to your question for me is it just depends. Sometimes the pigs stay in the Ford and sometimes they jump out. Sometimes I have to chase 'em down and wrestle them to the ground and sometimes they snuggle under my arm and barely squeal at all. Sometimes when they get away, they hide under the grandstands and I never get 'em back. It just depends.
The only rule I have for getting to the finish line is to do it as gracefully as I can with all my pigs in a row.
Oink, oink.
Alice, I grew up in Tillamook, Oregon on the coast. The Pig N Ford races are well attended at the Tillamook county fair the second weekend in August.
I loved the picture your drew with your word choices. I can see Alice and swine in their love/hate relationship. LOL
Hey, Lori, cute post! 8^) We used to do greased pig contests in high school in Hilo, Hawaii. Very fun. And lots harder than it looks!
I'm not sure what the question is, but I think you're asking what we go through to get our writing just right? If not, I apologize. Today's been one of those days and I think I'm still recovering from weekend heat stroke. Hot flashes and 100 degree weather are not a good combination.
I'm a born reviser. Love the editing process. So I guess I'd answer yes to the tackling of my prose to tame it how I want it, if that's what you were asking. It's my favorite part of the writing process. 8^)
Karen, That's wonderful you love the editing process and enjoy tackling your prose woes. It's all good and keeps you moving forward in your writing journey.
fun blog, Lori!
There's plenty of days where it feels like the pig is driving :)
Yep, my latest writing is feeling a whole lot like the Pig N Ford race!
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