There’s an article I read recently from Emacs package maintainer and writer Protesilaos, On honesty and my creative process, where he goes over his process for coming up with new ideas. In it he discusses the concept of alla prima, which means “at first attempt,” or “wet on wet.” It’s an approach in painting where the artist applies each layer of paint to the canvas without letting the previous layer dry. Paintings created in this way were typically finished in a single session. Traditionally, artists would use a layering approach, where they applied one layer of paint on top of another after letting the previous layer dry.
When applied to the writing process, this approach makes a lot of sense. It’s an ideal way to capture and preserve your thoughts on a given subject at one point in time. Everyone has had the experience of re-reading part of an essay that they started weeks ago and getting the burning desire to tear it up and start over. We change every day, and it can be downright discouraging pick up a thread that you don’t agree with anymore. I’ve never attempted to write anything longer than a few dozen pages, but I’m sure this sentiment is multiplied for any authors who are hundreds of pages into a novel. Working while the paint is still wet gives what you produce a logical and emotional coherence that is very difficult to maintain over multiple sessions.
Now, there are obviously many, many things that cannot be finished in one sitting. But I’d like to propose a solution as to how alla prima can be applied. Break the task down into smaller canvases, and don’t stop until the square you are working on is complete. This way, you can capture the purity of each moment, while still contributing to the fullness and richness of the larger picture.
It’s important to realize that the work does not begin or end with paint on the canvas. Prot states that his ideas are not fully spontaneous. They are a product of lots thinking and refinement before they are “ready.” I think this is true of most intellectual pursuits. Many of my most important revelations as a writer and programmer have been away from the keyboard: during walks, in the shower, or while cooking. In order to do good work, we need periods of aloofness, and times when we are fully present in the moment. Alla prima is a harmony of these two states of being.