As a writer, are you a sculptor or a painter?

[Patricia D]

A sculptor's first draft is a large unwieldy block that the author edits by subtraction, chiseling away the dross so that the story within is revealed in its full glory.

A painter's first draft is the a picture that the author edits by addition, putting on layers of color and rays of light, inserting details that bring an otherwise drab canvas to life.

Most of us probably do both, but I'm 90%+ painter. Maybe because I'm a pantser, and that first draft is an outline of sorts - a 60,000+ word outline that will become an 80,000+ novel.

Who are you?

 

[Barbara]

I'm neither the sculptor, nor the painter. True to my chosen profession, I have the actor's draft. Not a first draft to either add layers to, or chisel away from. Instead, I have a living MS. It builds and evolves as I explore the story and character, as I live it and linger, immersed, submerged. If someone were to ask me how many drafts have I written, I would have to say 'one'.

 

[Matnov]

Never thought about it like that. I guess I am more a painter than sculptor by the definition given. As a committed pantser/discovery writer then the truth is that I do not know what a book is meant to feel like until I have finished the first draft so it does require a lot of shading in, although I am not sure that I would claim that it needs rays of light. Invariably, I look to make characters a tad darker, to make dialogue a little sharper, to perhaps replace a general blur with more straight lines although, and here I feel is the dilema that troubles me the most, there are also parts of it that need the shadows lengthened.

And it can still look like its been finger painted by chimpanzee with ADHD!

 

[Paul Whybrow]

Although I'm a pantser at heart, I'm a planner by nature—even if it is a combination of actually writing ideas down and having mental images that inform the feel of the story. I'm more of a film director than a painter or sculptor, for I've mentally storyboarded what will happen. I've learned to think about what the theme of a novel will be—my WIP will consider how personal identity comes from creativity and ownership of art and how such prestige leads to deceit, treachery and murder. As I said in another thread, I create a story bearing in mind how it makes people feel (including me!). It's necessary to be manipulative in this way, to have an effect, so I'll go back when editing to backfill sentences and alter words and phrases—this feels more painterly—or, possibly, adding CGI effects.

I've always been rather bewildered by writers who throw words at a page, spewing out vast reams of illogical narrative that needs hammering into shape as a sculptor does with a statue.

 

[Carol Rose]

At first thought I'd say I'm a painter, but far too often it's been the characters who reveal the story to me as I write, so maybe I'm a sculptor instead? Interesting question!

 

[Robinne Weiss]

I'm a painter, for sure. That first draft is sparse, with much of the detail still in my head. I've learnt how to go back and add that detail before I give it to anyone to read, though. By the time anyone else reads it, you might think I was a sculptor, with more to cut than to add. Perhaps, I'm more of a sailor--following the ebb and flow of the tide, looking for the sweet spot that will let me sail out of the harbour with speed.

 

[Patricia D]

Interesting answers - the painter-sculptor analogy isn't original with me but I've long forgotten where I first heard it. I like that there are also sailors and actors, film directors and self-deprecating discovery writers and who knows what else.

 

[Alistair Roberts]

I was certain I was a sculptor but now I'm not so sure. Probably 80% that, and 20% painter as I let the story unfold itself. Whilst I'll make changes in later drafts, those changes can be either adding in pieces or deleting what isn't necessary. Either way, it's a long process.

 

[MaryA]

Great analogies, I'm both/and. Except that I often think of an evolving manuscript as a a piece of music, polyphony, solos, harmonies that repeat, jarring, dissonant moments, a fluid shifting score.

 

[Boopadoo]

I'm a scupltor who then paints what is left of the first draft to pretty it up more, like with a figurine.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

Interesting way of looking at it

Painter. I write like I painted this.

 

[Marc Joan]

Potato printer.

 

[Barbara]

Interesting way of looking at it

Painter. I write like I painted this.


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Wow, @Katie-Ellen Hazeldine. Amazing painting!

 

[Barbara]

Potato printer.

Hey @Marc Joan , I hope this is paint and not Le Worm on Le Plate.

 

[Katie-Ellen]

@Barbara Glad you like it. It's called 'December'. Watercolour and pen and actually, only tiny. @AgentPete said his client, author Mal Peet, RIP, Mal, wrote like no-one else he knew; convergent, like an engineer. Write this section, and this, and this, separately perhaps, but knowing ahead where and when and how those pieces would be fitted together.

 

[Barbara]

@Barbara Glad you like it. It's called 'December'. Watercolour and pen and actually, only tiny. @AgentPete said his client, author Mal Peet, RIP, Mal, wrote like no-one else he knew; convergent, like an engineer. Write this section, and this, and this, separately perhaps, but knowing ahead where and when and how those pieces would be fitted together.

You should sell your paintings, Katie. (I'm assuming you have several?). Have you heard of Pixels.com? You can list them there. A friend of mine uses it.

Interesting about writing in sections. I might give that a go. Create a puzzle

 

[Patricia D]

Potato printer.

what is that nasty looking black thing?

 

[Marc Joan]

what is that nasty looking black thing?

Just paint! Your concerns are groundless....

 

[AgentPete]

@Barbara Glad you like it. It's called 'December'. Watercolour and pen and actually, only tiny. @AgentPete said his client, author Mal Peet, RIP, Mal, wrote like no-one else he knew; convergent, like an engineer. Write this section, and this, and this, separately perhaps, but knowing ahead where and when and how those pieces would be fitted together.

Mal made life hard for himself: harder than it had to be. A function of his character, perhaps. Some people would have called his process “chaotic”, but I think in that chaos is where he found his creative spark… the thrill/horror of falling off the knife-edge if the process didn’t work out.

I don’t think it has to be this scary or this difficult (but it’s very personality-dependent). The ultimate toll is very high; he couldn’t get through lunch without one or two breaks for cigarettes.

 

[Emurelda]

A sculptor's first draft is a large unwieldy block that the author edits by subtraction, chiseling away the dross so that the story within is revealed in its full glory.

A painter's first draft is the a picture that the author edits by addition, putting on layers of color and rays of light, inserting details that bring an otherwise drab canvas to life.

Most of us probably do both, but I'm 90%+ painter. Maybe because I'm a pantser, and that first draft is an outline of sorts - a 60,000+ word outline that will become an 80,000+ novel.

Who are you?

I'm a sculptor that chisels off too much. End up with something far smaller than I ambitiously set out to do. But in the end, even the smallest of sculptures have a place on my mantle.

Edit: lol at 'smallest of sculptors'...too funny but I've edited!

 

[Amber]

I'd hate to have to decide.

Hopefully I'm both.

 

[Patricia D]

I'm a sculptor that chisels off too much. End up with something far smaller than I ambitiously set out to do. But in the end, even the smallest of sculptures have a place on my mantle.

Edit: lol at 'smallest of sculptors'...too funny but I've edited!

Small sculptures can be exquisite.

 

[Howard]

Small sculptures can be exquisite.

Small sculptors, too