I bought a new candle yesterday that has an amazing scent. The brand is "Essence of the Bean." I sat looking at the label this morning while listening to a webinar, and the brand name (and let me tell you, Maple Praline Crunch is divine!) made me think. Essence of the Bean...Essence of the Book.
As writers, we think a lot about boiling our stories down to a one or two sentence pitch. That one sentence root, ultimately, seems to be the "essence of the book." It started me thinking in a new way about what is really the essence of my current WIPs. I have one particular story that seems to be ever morphing but in a chaotic, haphazard manner. I still can't boil it down and identify the true essence of the story. Needless to say, it is moving to the back burner for a while.
My newest WIP, my 12 x 12 March rough draft, does have a more identifiable root or essence. Maybe not fully boiled down to one sentence yet but definitely much closer. I will continue to work toward developing the "essence of the books" I'm working on while smelling the "Essence of the Bean" candles for added creativity:)
How do you boil down your story to find the true essence and create a 1-2 sentence pitch?
The "essence of the books" is an interesting way to say it. I know what you mean. My current WIP is beginning to make sense, however, so don't give up. I've made so many changes from the original draft, but now, I think I know where we're going. Fingers crossed.
ReplyDeleteI've been working on the Log-line too. Still not sure, but have several possibilities. It should show Who, Wants, But what stands in his/her way. Good luck to you. You can do it. :)
Thank you so much for your ongoing support, Beverly! I appreciate it more than you know. Good luck finding the essence in your current WIP. I look forward to reading it one day!
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