One thing that gets told to writers early on in the process, especially to writers who may be struggling to finish their first draft is that you can’t edit a blank page. This, I think in general, is a pretty good way to soothe some of those blank page fears we all have. But it can be a little misleading as it implies that once the words are on the page the rest of the work is easy.
In truth, revising a book is in many ways much harder than writing one. In my opinion, it is also much more rewarding.
I love the exploratory nature of a first draft. How you can wander and play and let yourself get lost in a story that’s still unfolding. It’s chaotic, but in a joyful way. Anything is possible in a first draft. But like most things, first drafts inevitably reach a natural end. At some point, you have to stop chasing down rabbit trails and start finding the story’s true path.
Don’t believe the writers who tell you their first drafts come out perfect. Don’t believe the writers who say they never revise.
Maybe there are writers who do get it right the first time and never have to change a single word or comma or em-dash. But if those writers exist, they are truly magical beings, gifted with powers beyond what we mere mortals can expect to have in our short lifetimes. For the rest of us, those who have not been gifted by the Muse to write a perfect first draft, we will have to revise our stories at least once, and more likely many times, before we feel satisfied in its wholeness and ready to share it with other people.
Revising is where I find the wretched beating heart of my story, where my truth and vulnerability is finally laid bare.
It’s in the revision process where I can sweep away the placeholder words and side trail plots, the characters and moments that don't matter. Revision is where I start adding layer and depth and strangeness, where the characters and the world and everything I’m making can truly come to life.
When talking about the editing stages of a book, some people will use ‘revision’ and ‘editing’ interchangeably. But I see a clear distinction between the two.
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