Thread: Untightening

I'm sort of a newbie that needs some advice.

I've always been taught to write tight, and it's no problem for me to condense what could conceivably be an entire how-to book (my favorite genre) into a single page.

My question is how to go about untightening my writing in order to take very original ideas and expand them into book size manuscripts?

Any reference sites with help in this area or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Rob

Think of unravelling a knot, one starts with a tight ball and gradually teases out the strands. So start by writing your plot, your basic plan, then loosen it up with movement, metaphor, rhythm, contrasts, descriptive passages, personalities. Every time you go back to it you will see places where something is lacking. Then when you have a great loose skein tighten it up again, but without losing the new forms you have added.

I've never been taught to write tight or loose or anything. I read a lot. I know what I like and why and what I don't like and why. Finding out why I don't like something isn't that easy. But it's a good lesson. I'd advise you to use, as reference sites, the bookshop or the library.

I cruise along single mindedly at first, and then go back and fill things out as I reread. Writing is like clay, you can add and add. I am less able to work with something like stone. You make a mistake and damn.