I love summertime barbeques with all the fixings, including potato salad. And it seems everyone makes potato salad their own way. The only kind I don't like is the store bought variety, other than that I love them in all their forms.
Making potato salad over the years we have noticed that it is better made ahead of time so the flavors can truly marry. Nothing like a few hours of sitting to bring out the best in all the ingredients.
I think the same is true of good writing. That's why we rarely publish first drafts. With time, our characters percolate in our minds. They take shape or even change shape. Their motives and histories become apparent in our imaginations. And it's not so much that we create these things as it is that they reveal themselves. It can just take time for these things to come out of hiding.
It can be hard to be patient. When I am writing fast and furiously on a book, I want to keep going until I finish. But my characters have a different idea. They want to enjoy the ride, and even rest from time to time. My characters drive me on, but they also put on the brakes from time to time, reminding me to stop and let their "flavors" mature and come together.
It may be hard to be patient, but it is usually worth the wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment