There are two kinds of writers: Forest People and Tree People. Forest People see the shape, the blended colors, the general well being of the forest. Forest People do not look at trees.
Tree People see the shape color and texture of each tree. They see individual leaves. They smell the sap rising in the spring. Tree people do not look at forests.
When Forest People write, they instinctively focus on the action and shape of a story. Forest people create tales that drive the reader through with a sense of purpose. But Forest People struggle to convey place in their work because they don’t automatically understand the importance of the details.
For Tree People, setting is as important, or more important than character and plot. Tree people create living landscapes that breathe. But Tree People tend to meander, lost in the lovely details.
I am a Forest Person. I want action. I want to know what happens next. I don’t want to stop and give the feel and texture of bark, the scent of moist soil and sap. That doesn’t excuse me from providing those things to readers. As I work on draft two of Mutant, I am going back and putting in the detail and texture and scents that I missed on my first draft. Action gives a story purpose, but it is the details that allow the reader to experience the action.
I enjoy this aspect of writing, where I have to slow down and take note of the setting and the textures that bring characters to life; it deepens the impact of the story, but it is tree work and I don’t find it easy.
Whether written by a Tree Person, or Forest Person, a good story contains a mixture of forest and trees. So what are you? A Forest Person, or a Tree Person? Which is another way of saying what are your strengths and weaknesses? Do you see the trees? Or do you see the forest?
