An Intricate Balance

    The Yang Energy = a compulsion always pulling towards action, in division, separation, difference

The Yin Energy = a compulsion always pulling toward being, merging, union, oneness

The work of a writer is a balance between polarized forces. On one extreme, we have the task of creation. We are required to pull from imagination the unique; material which distinguishes our vision yet also moves the narrative forward, towards the conclusion or the final layer of what it is we strive to express.

On the other end is a demonstration of will. We have the task of weaving all of the isolated units together, into coherent form. In order for our words to knit acceptably, into a focus recognized as literature, we must harmonize & connect all of the many particulars so that the writing is bound together in cohesion & coherence.

This merger of disparaging units can be accomplished through action which compels the drive of our story—through the flow of place, from one geographical setting to the next & if we are successful in this, we might also harmonize concepts of theme & the images which might serve as a symbolic interpretation of the narrative. Neither force can operate without the other, to either compel or unify. It is this delicate dance between the two polarized objectives which defines any success as an effective storyteller.

The art of literature is what all serious writers strive towards. It is that fusion of the poetic, the symbolic & captured in erudite economy of specific language. This fusion of technique raises the work so that it might be experienced on several different levels of interpretation. Yet the question remains: how is this achieved?

Perhaps it will be helpful to consider what those deemed successful at the craft of writing have to say on the subject? Their generosity in deconstructing their own personal mechanics might offer a unique glimpse into some of the secrets involved in mastering the art of storytelling.

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