Photo by Vladimir Kudinov on Unsplash
I am discovering that revision of a long piece is an entirely different creature than revising a short story or writing new words. And I have to give myself time to learn this and make mistakes and try again. So I’m throwing the idea of time schedules out the window for now. My goal is to work on this regularly, interspersed with days of doing writing practice so that I feel like I’m still getting writing done. Because this revision thing, while necessary for writing,does not feel to me like getting writing done.
I picked up a new book yesterday to help me learn this revision thing: The Last Draft by Sandra Scofield. My first impression is that the first section of the book, which is more than half the book, is more educational and less specific to working on a particular manuscript. Skimming through it at the bookstore I saw a lot in there that I think I can make use of, so I’m looking forward to digging in further.
That’s about it for the moment. I’m still plugging away at this revision and am determined to figure out how to do this with a long story. Looking forward to seeing what I learn from my new book–I’ll keep you posted.
I know what you mean! I usually need to start writing something new when I’m revising. I tend to begin a story slowly while revising another, then I immerse myself in it when I’m done and the previous one is published.
Good luck finding your own system!
Thank you! That sounds like a good system and seems like it would keep the stories flowing well. I might try out working on a different story, maybe at least some planning, while I’m doing this just to see how it feels.