Develop Writing Ideas Organically
How to Shape Plot and Character by Going With the Flow
Aug 3, 2009
Just as an organically grown tomato vine sprouts from the ground without artificial influence, so it is in the garden of the imagination. The central principle is, “Don’t force it.” Instead, writers should cultivate their stories through patience, observation, and simple actions.
Some writers equate “organic” with “spontaneous” or “lacking structure.” However, building a piece of writing organically doesn’t mean working without an outline or a clear plan. In fact, planning is central to an organic writing approach. Below are a few ways in which all of these principles contribute to the creative process.
Collect and Discard Ideas Over Time
Adopt a collector’s junk-hunting mentality and stay on the lookout for anything interesting. This is a passive rather than active approach. When tuned to the proper settings, the human brain is a wonderful machine for cataloging whatever it encounters, and most successful writers have fine-tuned an ability to “tag and bag.”
Just as important is the ability to discard scraps of information or bits of a story that, over time, prove unusable. Too much clutter impedes healthy growth. If something doesn’t fit, that’s what the recycling bin and compost pile are for. But again, there’s nothing wrong with patiently evaluating an idea, giving it a fair shot.
Revisit and Revise
If deadlines permit, spend time away from a story. It might require a day, a month, even a year, but when the reunion occurs, a surprising amount of “growth” may have occurred. The story will likely appear in a new way, with its strengths and flaws more visible than before.
Now an active approach is needed. Seize the moment and make the necessary adjustments, however modest or drastic they seem. If this feels ruthless, that’s because it has to be. It’s part of a natural process that inevitably results in a stronger story.
Dream on It
Even if a dream doesn’t seem to jibe with a current project, it’s still wise to tag and bag it. No matter how chilling the nightmare or how quirky the vision, it could very well prove useful in the days or months to come.
For writers who keep a dream journal, it might be worth looking back on a year’s worth of dreams and comparing them to the stories, novels, or plays in the works during that period. What kind of correlations are seen? Do the dreams provide insight into the writing? These investigations might bear fruit.
Set Limits
The old mantra is “Write 1000 words per day.” If this doesn’t lead to an ulcer, great. If it’s a struggle, why force it? Instead, go counterintuitive and set a limit of 10 words per day. Very soon the struggle will be to stay under 10. So gradually ratchet up the limit to 20, then 50, and so on.
Plenty of other strategies parallel organic development. These include “letting go” at deadline crunch time. In other words, turn off the brain and let the project be what it will be. Turning off the brain isn’t a bad thing when it’s time for the heart to take over.
As any smart writer knows, an organic approach doesn’t mean relying on otherworldly forces that eclipse the hand of the artist. It means the story, once held within the writer’s soul, has been given nourishment and the strength to take shape, like a seed growing high and green in the fullness of time.
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