Saturday, July 15th, 2006 | Uncategorized

I explained in another post that I’m usually a panster when I write. Another thing that a writer must do is self-edit. Well, I’m not one who *chucks* the entire manuscript out and then goes back. I like to self-edit as I write. What I usually do is write my self-required word limit for the day and then stop. The next day, I go back over what I write and edit it, adding and taking away what I like and don’t like.

Well, the other day, I learned something new, a technique called…layering and texturing. Now, don’t get me wrong…I’d heard about this before, but it wasn’t until I read an article by Julie Elizabeth Leto that I clearly understood what it was.

This is how she explained it. Layering is writing in pieces. And the pieces are dialogue, action, reaction, emotion, and body language. Write the dialogue first. Layer in the setting (when and where are your characters. This will determine how they react and what they do). Action (movement, gestures they make, steps they take, places they go, touches they exchange).

Reaction (comes from the viewpoint character, internal thought, internal dialogue, more dialogue and emotion) - the non-viewpoint characters body language, dialogue and action. Your characters *must* react to each other. Backstory is best served as reaction to current compelling action and it must be brief.

Sensuality and Description (this is where you add the sexual tension, smell, taste, sound, odor, textures). Above all else, each scene must have plot, characterization and conflict.

And believe it or not, this worked for me. The first time I tried it, I did exactly what she said and completed over 1400 words. Knowing what I wanted my characters to say to each other in each scene and writing it all down first worked for me. I wrote over 500 words of dialgue and then layered in the rest and it felt awesome to accomplish that.

If you want to read the full article by Ms. Leto, go here. Scroll down and click on *Texturing and Layering.*

Have a good weekend.

:-)Lyric

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