Writing a Story = Wrangling Magic

The very fact writers create something seemingly out of nothing is a special kind of magic.

Some would say the process of writing a story is an art, a literary form of creative expression giving voice to the writer’s unique take on a narrative.

Others might be inclined to think of it more as a craft, a writer bringing their experience to bear on scenes, transitions, dialogue, characters, and themes.

I not only think both are applicable, I believe there’s a third way of thinking about the process:

Writing a Story = Wrangling Magic

This is an apt way of thinking about the process in macro, how we begin with seemingly nothing, then somehow over the course of weeks, months, or even years, we end up with a complete story.

Let’s go back further before we even type Fade In. Where does the story concept originate? While many writers habitually generate story ideas before zeroing in on one which feels like a viable project, I have interviewed and known dozens of writers when asked, “How do you come up with a story concept,” will simply shrug and say, “I don’t know.” They will be walking along… taking a shower… out for a job… or just plain doing nothing when — PING! — the story just appears out of nowhere.

As if by magic.

What about the emergence into being of a story’s characters? Certainly, there is the grind of character development — biography, questionnaire, interview, monologue, stream of consciousness — but even there revelations will rise to the surface surprising us. Where did that come from?

Again, it feels like magic.

What about that line of dialogue which fits perfectly for a scene like:

A visual element like a talisman which springs to life and becomes a thematic centerpiece to the story like the snow globe in Citizen Kane or Harvey Dent’s lucky coin in The Dark Knight?

An idea for a transition like this majestic one from Lawrence of Arabia:

Thousands of words… hundreds of choices… dozens of scenes… and somehow through it all… a story emerges.

Writing a story is art… it’s craft… it’s hard work…

But if we are honest with ourselves, it’s also magic. And our most basic task is to somehow wrangle it into being.

The next time you sit down to write, take a moment to reflect on the magic involved in the process.

Good luck wrangling it!