The Layers of Writing

I just finished a post for my buddy Julie over at A Tale of Many Reviews. It’ll  be up in a few days, but the subject got me thinking. Do other writers think of a story the way I do?

If you’ve read anything on this blog the past few weeks, you know I’m a nut for symbolism. Mostly because I’m a little strange, but also because it adds depth to a story. I love the notion that great writing has layers.

I think its the musician in me. Music is full of layers. Some people hear music  and they only comprehend one big ball of sound. But others who listen to the same piece hear the ostinato in the bass, the way the strings play off the woodwinds, the crescendo in the vocal line that is a subtle counterpoint to the horns.  I’ve said in previous interviews it is for this reason that I cannot have music on when I write. My mind gets too distracted listening to the layers of sound.

I think that’s why I love to write in layers. The first draft is simply the storyline. Who does what … where they go … etc. But then the second pass adds symbolism, a physical reaction, a moment, a pause. The third revision is yet another layer. What does the protag feel, hear, smell, taste, touch? And how do the others in the scene react as well? And so it goes until the storyline is nestled in sensory verbiage and subtle symbolism.

I have to ask. If you are a reader, do you pick up and enjoy layers in a story? And if you are a writer, is this normal?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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