Of all the scenes in Metasearch, this one was the toughest to write. I actually rewrote it three times from scratch. In this story, aside from the paranormal research, I had to really capture a spousal abuse therapy session. The first time I wrote the scene was more of a blue print of what I wanted to achieve, but I knew later on I would have to rewrite it based on my research. As a writer, I wondered if my first draft of the scene had hit the mark, or would it make a therapist cringe… and cringe they did.
Three drafts and two dinners later with a professional psychologist, the whole scene changed dramatically. Every single detail was taken in consideration: The objects around the office, the positioning of the characters, their body language, their clothes, and their dialogue. Looking back at Claire’s introduction, it was a lot of work for only four pages, but it was worth every bit of it. I had achieved the level of realism I was looking for.
I often compare the creative processes with sculpting. You have this huge chunk of rock i.e. research, plot, characters, ideas, etc. And you start chipping away until you get a nice polished sculpture. I’ll see you in the page.
Oddman Out
