Whether a Spinner or a Weaver

Writers come in many different types, but they all form components of two categories; spinners and weavers. That’s my theory after being on this road to publication for the past three and a quarter years. Here’s how my theory goes.

Spinners

These writers are the ones who begin a project from thin air, no prep, no origin point beyond a basic premise, and a desire to create a story. These writers can be poets, children’s writers, essayists, memoirists, etc. The way they build the final product is the key to the definition.

They spin their final copy from tiny filaments of imagination, layer on layer, until the end. During rewrite, the spinner works to fill in those empty or shallow spots with more imaginative spinning to round out the overall picture created for the reader. A word change here for more concrete imagery, a comma placed there for more emphasis and dramatic effect, all of these tweaks come with deliberation and forethought to solidify the story, regardless of the format being used.

Some critics point out that this is an inefficient method of writing. I stand as both critic and user of the method. I defend this process of writing as being more organic and freer of cumbersome formulae.

It is also an inefficient and time consuming method of writing. It’s how my mind works when in creation mode, nevertheless. Flying by the seat of my pants might be cliché, but it’s an accurate description of the method.

If a spinner like me has a gut feeling about an impulse story, the best way to tackle it is the NaNoWriMo method. I dive in and write until I come to a wall. Sometimes a wall doesn’t appear until I’ve finished the entire first draft. Those are good times. Filling in the shallow spots, and tweaking during the rewrite, adds satisfaction and anticipation into the project.

There are also times that the wall arrives just after the title and byline, before the first line of the first paragraph. This latter example comes from my not having yet decided on a project’s slant, angle, or purpose before beginning a preplanned project. The spontaneity has been removed from it, leaving me adrift.

When I’m adrift on a preplanned project, I move into Weaver mode.

Weavers

A weaver uses components from various sources to weave a story tapestry, poem, etc. In some instances the type of source isn’t as critical as the information derived from it. Interviews delving into personal experiences glean much useful information without having to be documented from still other sources, for instance.

Personal memoir pieces and personal experience essays don’t always require documentation of any kind.

When the writer works with elements that require accuracy of information, real weaving takes place within the body of a written piece. Tiny details such as a plant’s medicinal properties must be accurate. Why? There are always people who will latch onto that tidbit of info and try it out in the real world, or research it, just to verify the writer’s use of the reference.

Travel articles hold much of the weaver’s abilities. The travel writer weaves dreams of vacations, locations, foods or drinks, luxuries or austerity, all in the body of a one thousand-word article. The writer lures the reader into a scene, placing him on the road to a must-have adventure, and then tries to convince that reader that nothing can compare to that particular experience.

Good travel articles sell hotels, cruise lines, spas, wines, etc. The tourism industry is driven into the homes of millions each month as a passenger in the travel writer’s road buggy. And the writer’s luring package can be as small as a well-written ad with an evocative photo taken by that writer.

Whether a Spinner or a Weaver

Fiction and non-fiction all require these two modes of a writer’s abilities. Good fiction, the kind that draws the reader in and traps them inside the story until it’s finished, uses both tale-spinning and a writer’s weaving to keep in on the shelf over the long haul.

Weaving in regional history and character depth is as important as spinning a fantastic tale of intrigue in the past, present, or future. Each form of writing requires accuracy of detail. Each genre requires deep thought to make it real to the reader. And each writer spins her threads’ bright colors before sitting down at the loom to weave those colors into a picture that informs a reader.

Experts in ancient tapestries, Persian rugs, and other textiles say that each weaver dyes his own threads with colors made by his own hands, and ties each delicate and strong knot with a unique signature. The same can be said for the writer.