Thursday 29 September 2011

Beneath the Overgrowth

From a distance this looked like just another clump of trees in the corner of a field, but when I got closer I saw it was something else.

Strip away the ivy and creeping overgrowth and there's a building underneath.

And it made me think of what you have to do when giving your work a really good edit - it's very similar - cut away the weeds and diversions and woolly descriptions to reveal the story within.



I asked the farmer what this place was and she told me it was called Jones's Hole. There's a barn, underneath all that ivy, and in the spring, if you go inside, you'll find barn owls nesting.

11 comments:

  1. this is tre cool, where is it?

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  2. that would be the perfect place for lots of supernatural beings to HIDE!

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  3. @Phyllis - it's in the hills behind my house....:-)

    @Jessica - agreed - that's the main reason I didn't venture inside - who knows what might have jumped out at me!

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  4. I love the way it has grown into the landscape. Is this what would happen if all humans were not here?

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  5. @Paul Yes, indeed it would - and in fewer years than we's like to think... Nature would have the last laugh :-)

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  6. Yes and I agree : what a great setting for a story. Who lives in there ...

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  7. Kate,I agree totally about ruthless editing, I'm just not too sure about your example. Here the overgrowth is everything. The building would look bald and boring without it. Shame same can't be said about wooly books :)

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  8. @Mike, good point - although I was thinking along the lines of the overgrowth obscuring what's underneath - wooly writing getting in the way of a good story. But of course there are always more than one way of looking at something - all equaly valid and in this case you are right. The overgrowth is what makes this barn interesting :-)

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  9. Hi Kate,
    I'm loving your analogy that ties in so well with your photograph. It's amazing what can be found beyond the layers.
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Gary )

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  10. Ha ha, that's brilliant! Shall keep that firmly in mind when I feel un-enthused about my next edit :)

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