May Writing ShowFor the May edition of JRW’s Writing Show, “River of Dust: The Gritty Truth about Editing,” held on May 30 at the Children’s Museum of Richmond, debut novelist Virginia Pye and her editor Nancy Zafris discussed the importance and intricacies of editing. Zafris—an award-winning author, manuscript consultant, and series editor for the Flannery O’Connor award for short fiction—visited Richmond from Ohio to share her expertise. Moderator Patty Smith, a local writer and teacher, steered the discussion towards subjects such as the role of editors, the importance of plot, and how to know what to let go and what to keep.

Pye explained that her novel, River of Dust, selected as an Indie Next Pick for May 2013, has been through at least twenty drafts. By the end of the editing process, only the first twenty and last twenty pages of her original manuscript remained. Zafris noted Pye is “a beautiful writer” whose work benefited greatly when she kept sight on plot. Zafris commented that “plot is often the problem” for literary writers. Stories work best when the writer focuses on “what happens next” and on moving the action forward at a good pace, rather than shifting around to various settings or points-of-view between chapters, or dwelling on the thoughts and emotions of each character at pivotal scenes.

Zafris and Pye described a method they used to map out Pye’s story, in which they hung notecards on three parallel clotheslines to detail the plot, thematic elements, and characters for each chapter. Zafris explained how plot is “the hook a story hangs on,” and that “if you stay loyal to the plot, you find your literary theme.”

How do you know when something you’ve written is a mistake? Pye responded that “it’s wise to listen to people in the profession.” After heeding Zafris’s advice to narrow the focus of her original draft, Pye described that she was “fired up” and ended up “writing the whole book in twenty-three days.” She also mentioned that it is better to abandon a problematic idea early than to be welded to it for years. Zafris added that when writers are tied to their books, they fail to see the obvious problems with plot and point-of-view.

The second half of the show featured questions from the audience. Asked about her reasoning behind hiring editors and consultants, Pye replied, “As a writer, I am a small business owner, and I have to invest in my business to be successful.” What if a writer is repulsed by their first draft? Pye suggested to “give it a little space” and that “being disgusted isn’t so helpful.” Zafris distinguished between literary and genre fiction, explaining that although plot introduces the story in both types, characters resolve literary fiction, while plot resolves genre fiction.

By the end of the editing process, a writer can discover something new about their story. Pye divulged that at first, her goal was to create dramatic moments to teach or show deep thoughts. In the end, she found that the reader could draw his or her own conclusions by experiencing the story through the characters.

The day after the Writing Show, twelve students, including Virginia Pye, enjoyed a hands-on intensive workshop with Nancy Zafris, with a focus on short stories, crafting opening sentences, and of course, plot.

— By Kevin Yuan, a student at the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School

Coming Up at the Next Writing Show

Thursday, June 27, 2013
6:30–8:30pm
The Camel—new location!

At our June Writing Show, “A Writer’s Platform: Marketing at Every Stage of Your Career,” hear unique perspectives from three authors—Karen Chase, Deb Dudley, and Meg Medina—each in a different phase of their literary paths. Julie Geen, a freelance writer and teacher, will moderate the discussion, including how to prioritize and budget tasks and how to shape an identity as a writer. Learn more and register today.