Word Sculpting

By Rory C. Keel

Have you ever seen a sculptor at work? The artist gathers the clay needed for his project and then he does something very interesting. He will take the blob and knead it. He pounds it with the heel of his fist and then mashes it with the weight of his body concentrated through his stiff arms into his palms. Breaking the clay into smaller pieces, he will roll them into long dough like strands before wadding them back together into a ball. He will then pat the sphere and admire it as if he has accomplished the world’s greatest feat.

Then the sculptor starts

Without hesitation, the prepared clay is placed on the work surface and the sculptor begins to poke and prod, carving out any undesirable portions and adding more clay in other places to transform the ball into the vision in his mind.

A writer is a word sculptor

As a writer, you work in a similar way. You gather the research materials for your specific subject and then you sculpt your story by tying the materials together or subtracting what is not needed.

Don’t be afraid to put words on the page and start your story. Like the sculptor, work to form your story until the finished product appears.