Building a house, making a cake, writing a story

Yesterday in Story Club, my young writers’ workshop, we explored metaphors for creating a story.

For example, how is building a house like building a story?

• We lay a foundation first, this could be the main theme.
• We add levels and layers, characters, description, setting. We make sure each is well-built and sound.
• We’re finished! Oh wait, we need one more coat of paint (editing/revising process).
• Now we’re ready to open the doors, invite others in.
• A house is a place to shelter from storms. So is a story.

Using metaphors helped us reflect on and communicate our writing process. It is fascinating how we all have different processes, and how even different stories have different ways of being created as well.

Ideas from the group include a cake, a fire and a storm.

• Writing a story is like baking a cake. Choose the ingredients (characters, setting, etc). Put all the ingredients together, mix it, but it’s still not a cake yet! Bake it, then layer on the icing and glitter (which is the editing/revising process).
• Writing a story is like building a fire. The wood is laid (the intro). The fire is lit and coaxed higher and higher (the climax). At the end, the fire is out, the tension broken. Transformation has occurred.

The next metaphor was inspired by the wonderful art around us at Thrive cafe, I believe!

• A story is like a high heel, tracing up the inside. The tension increases, hits a high at the top of the arch, then falls at the heel.

This journey of tension was also compared to a storm (with thunder and lightning at the climax). And the idea of a light switch being turned on and off — the story is here, we see what’s going on, and then it’s gone.

What is creating a story like for you?