Revision: logic and imagination

An unspecified river in Bangladesh (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

         Both logic and imagination are necessary in revision. Revision is not some dry process. It is fluid, floating between solid logic and airy imagination. The writer dips her toes in each world. Logic gives you the ABCs – structure, guidelines, rules. Imagination gives you the words.

Logic tells me to use the space to expand on my main conflict. When I deleted nonessential chapters, I also deleted a number of chapters that grounded the reader in the main character's ordinary world. It bothers me that the reader does not get a real feel for her home village. So I want the setting to be in the village and I want the building conflict between the main character and the antagonist to involve the villagers.

Imagination uses these guidelines to come up with several scenarios. The antagonist can turn the villagers against my character in an attempt to keep her from interfering with the plan he is about to execute (inciting incident). The main character can try to prove the antagonist's innocence to her best friend, only to become suspicious herself. I like these two best, so I decide to combine them.

See?

The writer is the river that washes against two banks and takes shape from both.