After making an outline plan for Instructions for the Working Day, I wrote a large number of short scenes. Simple, quick, rugged splashes, like the cat above. A brushful of paint released into water and allowed to diffuse. Not much to look at, but a burst of creativity nonetheless.
The purpose of these small scenes was to highlight the beats of the novel: vital elements of the story, shifts in the mood and pivotal moments of change.
This method helped ideas to unfold at a fairly fast pace. These scenes were not necessarily as intense as a piece of flash-fiction, in which a huge amount of story—beginning, middle and end—is condensed and packed tight. But they still needed to engage me from the first sentence and keep me captivated throughout.
I wrote these scenes in the same way as I would write flash-fiction, but, like the unkempt cat, there was no need for a polished finish. Splash-fiction, perhaps. With an element of tension in anticipation of the scene to follow.
The next task was to add length - although some scenes worked well as they were and I kept them short. The most important part of this process was to decide which aspects to develop and how the action could reveal more about the characters.
As the scenes grew, they gradually turned into rough chapters, which became the basis for my first draft. There was still a lot of work to do, but those small beginnings were the first flashes of inspiration.
So if you write flash-fiction and are contemplating a novel too, this construction method might work for you. Although it was important to keep in mind the larger picture of the novel’s theme and rhythm, writing small was an effective way to be imaginative, build foundations and stay focused.
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