Revising

[serafina20]

I think my favorite part of writing is revising. Not rereading for revision, but the actual going back through the story, making changes, adding things in, deleting parts, sometimes coming up with a new subplot, etc. This is when my drafts get good. My first drafts generally suck. I don't describe things very well, I skip important things, I forget other stuff. I sometiems don't connect point B to point C and then it becomes points A and B in the second draft. I just ... love it. It's easier and more fun for me the second time through.

Twice today, and one or twice the other day, I've read different people complaining that they were doing revisions and how much it sucks. Am I the only one who enjoys it? And what don't you like about revising if you don't enjoy it.

Also, I think I'm going to create another journal for teaching. It might be friend's locked (I haven't decided yet), so if you'd like to read it, comment below so I'm sure to friend you.

Comments

[kyanoswolf]

What I don't like about revisions is that by the time I'm actually through with a full draft of a story, I've probably revised it 15 times already anyway just to get it to a coherent draft that I'll even let someone else see.

When the beta's comments come back, there's always that "damn! why didn't I think of that" moment or "how could I have left that many typos in the draft after working on it for so long?"

Revision at that point isn't the creative joy. It's the "break's over, back to work."

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

I still don't get it. ;) I also go through many drafts before sending it to a beta. I hate the first draft, every minute of it. But, once I get the bare bones down and have the framwork, that's when the fun begings. If I could skip taht first draft and just do revisions, I'd have a lto more fun.

"how could I have left that many typos in the draft after working on it for so long?"

Ah, but see, that's editing, and that's a whole different ball game. Revising is gonig through plot, characterization, etc and making it better. Editing is those damn nitpicky things like left out words and typos. I'm with you there. I hate editing and no matter how many times i look at something, I just can't see the mistakes. Until it's published, that is. ;)

[mlleelizabeth.livejournal.com]

I would love to read about your teaching experiences.

I used to hate revision. I think it was an unwillingness to admit I could be wrong. *g* I don't hate it anymore, and I've got one story I've already rewritten 5 times, and I know I'm not done rewriting it.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

I think it was an unwillingness to admit I could be wrong.

I can understand that. I also wonder if sometimes it stems from not liking to read your own stuff. I *love* rereading my fic, even after it's long done, but I know a lot of people don't. So maybe that can be it, too.

[meret.livejournal.com]

I don't like revision nearly as much as the initial writing because it's a lot harder, at least for me. Letting the words pour forth in the first draft is much easier for me than going back and fixing the difficult spots, trying to come up with the perfect simile etc.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

I can understand that. I tend to ignore stylistic things so when I rewrite, it's just fleshing out the story more. But those last few sweeps can be hard because it does come down mostly to work choice and phrashing rather than story.

Thanks for commenting!

[sage]

On a teaching LJ: I totally recommend it. My best friend from college has taught high school biology for 8 years now and has found the best support group thru LJ. She loves it. However, one day one of her students saw her surfing LJ in her office, which led directly to her classes pestering her for her user name. So, definitely flock it. (Nobody needs some pissed off kid or their pissed off parent attacking them based on a journal.)

On revising: Once I actually *start*, I'm not really aware of writing at all. It really is like a trance, where time goes away and I'm just the medium. Sometimes revising's like that to, but it becomes increasingly conscious until I get to the point that I'm critiquing every letter of every word of every sentence and totally lose sight of the whole. That's when I achieve story-hate and have to send it away (either to a beta or to exile in my WIP folder) for a while.

My very favoritest thing of all, though, is coming back to a story with fresh eyes and little enough memory of it that I can see it as new. I get a very "I made this!" feeling.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

I get to the point that I'm critiquing every letter of every word of every sentence and totally lose sight of the whole.

I don't know if it's just my style or what, but I tend not to get caught up in things like word choice and structure and stuff. I'm not sure why, becuase I know it's 'supposed' to be a big deal. I guess I'm more concerned with just the story and characters, and that can be a weakness, I know. A lot of times I'll go back and wish my stories sounded pretty.

Thanks!

[emrinalexander.livejournal.com]

First, I'd love to follow your journal about teaching.

Second, I'm like you - getting the words down the FIRST time is always fun-but-exasperating because I don't describe things well, or I get stuck and have to write INSERT SEX SCENE HERE or whatever. The second through whatever go-rounds are really enjoyable because the hard part of telling the whole story is over, and now I can tweak and change and add and subtract. I've never understood not liking to edit/revise the first draft.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

have to write INSERT SEX SCENE HERE or whatever.

I *should* do taht sometimes. If I can't write even the barebones of a scene, I just stop for that day instead of moving on. I can be very linear at times and until scene A is written, i can't write scene B. That, I think, is the problem with my oringal novle; I know what I want done in the B arc and could write that, but I have a chapter for my A arc that comes first. Even though they don't have anything to do with each other yet, I can't write anything in that B arc.

[lady-alys.livejournal.com]

Friend me, please. :)

I generally prefer revising to actual writing. I hate staring at a blank page, but I love making the words that are already there sing.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

I love making the words that are already there sing.

That's it exactly. Than, and just adding in the fun character things that I miss the first time through because I'm so focued on plot and stuff.