The Forces of Writing
Writing requires four fundamental steps:
Imagine: ‘Open your mind’ (P.D. James)
Write: ‘Put one word after another’ (Neil Gaiman)
Edit: ‘Omit needless words’ (William Strunk)
Hope: ‘Outrun the self-doubt’ (Stephen King)
The steps of writing harmonise with the four fundamental forces of the physical world:
Electromagnetism: has infinite range, like imagination,
Weak Force: is confined to the atoms, as a writer must be confined to work.
Strong Force: holds nuclei together, as editing strengthens writing.
Gravity: keeps us anchored and has infinite range, like hope.
Read my essay, The Science of Writing.
Tags: books, connections, science, writing