CRAFT vs. CRAP

"The writer's CRAFT is the artful placement of words and stylistic elements with intention." ~Lester Laminack

For the dabbling writer, revision can be a grueling necessity.  For the devoted writer, revision is where the true connection with writing occurs.  It is the equivalent of the painter blending colors on the palette in order to shade the sky in a portrait just the right hue.  Or the sculptor chiseling and smoothing for the proper curvature of a statue.  After dumping our brains on paper during the first draft, the revision process is where we blend just the right amount of wordplay, literary elements, and dialogue to move the story forward and create something unique.

After listening to author Lester Laminack speak about the author's CRAFT during a workshop at Columbia University, I became inspired to develop an acronym that fit his description.  This is the acronym I use with my students during the revision process.

CRAFT= CReate Artful, Focused Technique

Let's break this down for a moment.  Artful means creating the right blend.  Certain colors don't go together.  Certain words don't go together.  There should also be a rhythm to your sentences.  I have my students diagnose their papers for soporific rhythms by looking at sentence beginnings (are they the same), sentence length (are they varied), and similar word usage.

Focused means brevity.  Each sentence should move the story or the characters forward.  If it doesn't, question whether it's needed.

Technique is the wonderful literary devices we learned when we were in grade school.  Onomatopoeia, alliteration, simile, metaphor, hyperbole, etc.  Put these to use at just the right places to create the desired effect.

What's the opposite of CRAFT?  If it's not CRAFT, it's CRAP.

CRAP= Chaotic Repetitious Apathetic Placement

When you produce CRAP, you are throwing words on the page.  While Jackson Pollack may have been able to rationalize a chaotic style, writers cannot.  Our job is to take the revision process seriously and enjoy the journey we make with our characters along the way. So, the next time you face the revision process, embrace it as a rite of passage and commitment to your CRAFT.  Because the literary world doesn't need CRAP.

~Scott Heydt

"Live, Learn, Teach"

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