From Zen in the Art of Writing—Ray Bradbury
The time will come when your characters will write your stories for you, when your emotions, free of literary cant and commercial bias, will blast the page and tell the truth.
Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations. Plot is observed after the fact rather than before. It cannot precede action. It is the chart that remains when an action is through. That is all plot ever should be. It is human desire let run, running, and reaching a goal. It cannot be mechanical. It can only be dynamic.
So, stand aside, forget targets, let the characters, your fingers, body, blood, and heart do.
LOVE this: “Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”
Susan, Thanks for taking the time to visit the site. We hope more writers come here for insight and inspiration. Or as Bradbury says–let the characters, your fingers, body, blood, and heart do.
Jack, I enjoyed the Vlado Rewrites page. It’s good to see the contrast between the original writing and the rewrite. For me, it’s a visual representation of the ideas/tools you are teaching. Very helpful.
Thank you.