| [BACK]
John Gregory Dunne, novelist, journalist and chronicler of the Hollywood scene died last week. His obit contained this quote: Writing is "manual labor of the mind: a job like laying pipe."
Dunne was referring to the vital role craft plays in writing (or any artistic endeavor). Laying pipe is one analogy. Building a house might be another. If someone constructs a house completely on his own, he must master a wide range of crafts-from carpentry to electricity to brick laying.
So it is with writers. Versatility is vital. We have to develop skill in story structure and how to craft the three acts that comprise the story arc. Dialogue is another area requiring craftsmanship. So is character development. And we also nurture the two sides of writing that are most in opposition: drafting and revision. Creating and critiquing.
A weakness in any one area can flaw all. Perhaps this is why hardly anyone writes a well crafted screenplay, corporate video or any other genre the first time out. It takes a lot of doing to develop craft.
So keep on doing!
|
