A few weeks ago, I was asked to play the piano at a mock wedding.
Yes, a mock wedding.
The minister at our church needed to conduct the affair as part of the licensing requirements needed for him to marry a young couple from our congregation. It was great fun seeing people dress up as if a real wedding were about to take place.
First came two lovely bridesmaids in short black dresses, carrying bouquets. Then followed the bride herself, dressed in a long white gown and with a flower pinned in her hair. The groom looked handsome standing near the front of the church with his two groomsmen.
After I finished playing Handel’s ‘Largo’ to usher in the wedding party, the ceremony got me thinking about writing fiction (aren’t we writers always thinking about writing?).
Here are three random-but-useful lessons that occurred to me from watching two people pretend to tie the knot:
1. Writers Get Second Chances.
The mock wedding needed to be videotaped all in one take; no breaks were allowed because, in real life, you can’t pause a wedding and start again. Still, we were able to practise the ceremony a few times until we were all comfortable with our roles, and if we made mistakes we were able to start again. Afterward, our minister reviewed the tape to make sure it was perfect and ready to submit.
In the same way, we writers have the advantage of polishing our work until it shines. We don’t have to get it right the first time, the second time, or the third time. In fact, we have an infinite number of chances to make mistakes and fix them—that is, until we’ve submitted our work.
Once you’ve got your writing out there, you have only one chance to make a good impression. So, be sure to take advantage of your editing power. Allow yourself to write a lousy first draft, knowing you can revisit it later as many times as you like, until it’s perfect to submit to a literary magazine or agent.
2. Believability is key.
The people taking part in the wedding had to assume names and identities from a case study. Everyone had a role, and those roles had to come across believably for the minister to gain his accreditation. We had to refrain from giggling, eye rolling, or any other behaviours that would make the event or our characters appear fake.
In fiction, we have expectations of believability when it comes to our characters. We expect them to act and react in certain ways, depending on their personalities and circumstances. If a character breaks our expectations, there should be a good reason, otherwise we simply won’t believe the writer.
Events in our stories also need to be believable to readers. Nothing can happen at random. We just don’t buy illogical twists or events thrown in for the purpose of advancing the plot.
3. Thoughtful details set the scene.
To make the mock wedding appear genuine, a lot of thought was put into the finer details. Friends and family sat in the audience; the wedding party was dressed in appropriate wedding attire; the processional, recessional and register-signing music was well-chosen; and a friend came to the front to read a poem about love. These details contributed to the overall wedding atmosphere.
Now, think of a book that absolutely transported you into its pages. It’s the details that make those stories come alive and immerse us in the reading experience. While endless description can be terribly boring and turn readers off, thoughtful, well-placed details really help to set the scene and draw readers into your story.
Writing Lessons Applied
Here are a few questions to ask yourself next time you pull out your work-in-progress:
- Have I set the scene with thoughtful details? Are there long-winded descriptive passages that can be cut down or eliminated, or perhaps interspersed throughout action or dialogue so they don’t become overbearing? Is there a scene I could infuse with more details to make it come alive?
- Does my story require suspension of disbelief? Do any of your characters say or do things they normally wouldn’t, and you can’t think of a good reason why? Is there an event in your story that just doesn’t quite fit?
- Can I edit just one more time? You think it’s perfect just the way it is, but give yourself a few days away and come back to it. If you still see things that bother you or corrections that need to be made, take care of them before you send that piece out.
Maybe it’s just me, but I see writing lessons in almost everything I do. Take advantage of life’s little oddities and experiences by turning them into valuable advice for your writing life.
Ashley Prince says
Yes, writer’s are always thinking about writing. I find myself doing that even more these days and I love it.
This is such a great post and I love how you can turn something so random, such as a mock wedding, into tips on writing. It’s wonderful.
Suzannah says
Thanks! This is just a little glimpse of how strange my mind really is 🙂
Emerald Barnes says
Fantastic article! On my blog, we were discussing why it’s good to write a bad first draft.
I tie writing back to everything in my life it seems! Even kid shows I watch with my nieces have a tie-back to writing for me!
Suzannah says
Yes, bad first drafts are actually good. I wrote this article and scheduled it ahead of time, reminding myself to come back to ‘edit just once more.’ Of course, I completely forgot about it and this morning was in a complete panic to check for typos, knowing the article had already gone out in RSS. Alas, there were two double words (of of, have have) that I missed in my first edit, so I guess I should take my own advice in the future 🙂
Emerald Barnes says
I do that quite often with my blog drafts. But two double words isn’t bad. I, mean, it could be a lot worst! 🙂
Suzannah says
Ha ha, I was actually quite relieved that was all that was wrong with it. Still, it looks pretty bad to advise people to be careful with their editing, then do something that silly!
Chiaki says
Awesome article! 😀 I love how even in a place as random as a mock wedding, our minds are always thinking of the craft and you managed to pluck three tips from the experience. Fantasticness XD
I really like the way you wrote about the first tip. Saying that writers always get second chances and everything. It seems to me that my first draft has to be perfect, otherwise I get distracted from the rest of the journey 0_o I really admire those writers who are able to ignore all their mistakes and put it off until it’s time for draft #2.
Great job comparing the roles of the people during a mock wedding to that of characters in a book! It’s great to emphasize on the fact that like people in real life, every character is different and can’t just do something another character would do. Unless, of couse, they have some kind of reason for doing it (like during a climactic scene, a character might be pushed to do something they never would’ve thought they could do before that event). Or something like that 😛
Wow, you really know how to get writing tips from almost any situation 😀 Thanks for the little checklist at the end, too ^_^
Suzannah says
Thank you! It’s difficult to let your first draft remain in shambles until you finish, but it’s worth it. I think editing as you go along only destroys your confidence.
HappyFamilyTravels says
Great article. Loved how you parlayed an nice experience into something really helpful!