John Baker’s Blog

What phases are involved in the creation of a text?

For me, creation of a text works like the physiology involved in pregnancy and child birth.

First trimester: There is conception, the slow formation of vital parts, excitement, fear, and maybe some nausea.

Second trimester: A narrative forms–like feeling the baby kick: a rough draft makes its way onto the page, and the writer can glow with this fulfilling sensation of bringing something into being.

Third trimester: The added weight and looming responsibilities start to grow uncomfortable and final intense efforts are needed to master the text. It takes hours, lots of patience, and an iron willpower that assures a writer remembers to breathe; however, if the text can’t be given a natural birth then it takes surgeon-like skill to split a writer’s head open with a knife; the story is yanked out of the womb of the mind, and the writer is stitched up again.

Either way, the whole process involves long recovery in the aftermath.

Rebecca Jane is a writer; she blogs at: http://rjaneflashfiction.blogspot.com

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