Q: How has your writing evolved over time?
A: I believe every author’s writing evolves over time, whether that’s through purposeful practice or simply as a reflection of one’s life experiences. I’ve always been a voracious reader, and some of my earliest memories involve sitting down on the floor with a pile of children’s picture books and flipping through the pages until I fall asleep from exhaustion. As a child, I’d tell my own stories to family and friends, mimicking the books I enjoyed. As an adult, my reading interests have expanded, and, like everyone, I’ve also collected quite a few life experiences from which to draw inspiration.
I feel that the biggest evolution of my writing over the years has been considering the audience more with each project I start. Whereas in the past I’d write a story simply to describe an interesting plot, these days I try to actively put myself in the reader’s shoes and attempt to understand what message or emotion they may receive. How can I make the plot more interesting? How can I make the reader care more about a certain character? How can I clarify the action, theme, and tone more effectively?
Seeking to improve clarity has not only improved my fictional stories, it’s also proved to be a beneficial exercise in communicating with others in my work life and personal life, too. I’ll forever be a student of writing, because it’s a craft that one can continually improve throughout their life. That’s what I love most about it—it’s always evolving.
M. Douglas White’s story “Good Boy”
in Metaphorosis Friday, 2 October 2020.
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