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Responding to the moment

David Gane
David Gane

The beauty and excitement of writing is that it allows you to tap into the moment. It enables you to respond to your impulses, emotions and feelings and discover new images and ideas you may not have found otherwise.

Yet, when writing a longer piece, it can be challenging for some people to sustain the consistency of the whole. Extra work may be required to keep it from falling apart.

An ideal for some people is to go in with a plan but allow it to be malleable. Let it evolve as you write. Having the story structure, themes, characters, and images mapped out can be helpful to keep the consistency—but be willing to reshape it as you commit it to a first draft.

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David Gane

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Co-writer of the Shepherd and Wolfe young adult mysteries, the internationally award-winning series, and teacher of storytelling and screenwriting.

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