Be alert to emerging focus of theme
Instead of focus of them or center of gravity you may want to call it the heart of the heart of a writing of yours:
Peter Elbow, my old writing guru, wrote of a "center of
gravity." The list below includes a way, I have gathered from
him, for getting a center of gravity or unifying theme to emerge in my
writing.
- Start writing X because it seems more believable than Y. Note as you write X what you begin to understand about Y.
- Continue your struggle with X and Y and see Z come up.
- As you write along you may honestly say, "Ah, now I see what I have been getting at."
- Finish what you are writing. Put it aside for a time. See useful implications as you look it over again.
- See that your good idea is crap. Then see that some part of the crap looks a lot less crappy. You sort out good part from the bad. You don't have to throw it away. In fact, some of it is better than your favorite idea.
- See your first writing providing a good scaffolding for your next writing. Consider the function of scaffolding.
- You find a powerful spark in a tiny digression. You keep the same elements but change the whole orientation for the better.
- As you progress in your writing be alert to emerging focus of theme.
- If nothing emerges, sum up what you have written, then sum it up again.
- Push yourself a bit to keep getting a center of gravity or summing-up to occur. Reconsider the nature of a center of gravity.
And like that.
Keep writing.
RCS