Damn, revising is hard work. It gets harder with each draft, as the possibilities narrow and the story becomes surer of itself, more resistant to change. Also, with each draft there’s an increased pressure to Get It Right. And that’s where I’m at now.
I’ve started the revisions for Gail, third draft becoming fourth. There will likely be several drafts yet to come, but this is the first one that’s feeling hard. It’s not about finding what the book is about, or seeing what I’ve done and what works and what doesn’t. I know the book now. I know what I need to do. This should be reassuring, and in some ways it is (because it would rather suck to be at this point and NOT know these things) but it’s also intimidating. It’s way easier to know what I need to do than it is to execute it in a true, compelling way on the page.
Before this draft, for both novels and all the stories, I’ve always revised by working within the text. It’s probably the most common revision method, and it works, for the most part. One drawback, though, is that it can be hard to get back into the mind you were in when you first wrote it, while still calling on your editor brain to see things in an analytical light. The editor brain is essential for revisions, of course, but I find that if I’m entirely in the editor brain, I can’t get my fingers into the story in the way I need to. Don’t have the feel of it in my hands.
I’m trying something new (to me) with this draft. I’m using my friend Katie’s revision method, a method I previously thought she was a batshit crazy masochist for employing. Well, she’s a novelist, so OF COURSE she’s a crazy masochist, but I just read the third draft of her novel and DAMN it’s in fine shape for a third draft. Remarkable shape for a third draft. And I read a good chunk of her quite good second draft, so I have some perspective on how strong her revising has been.
In early drafts, Katie opens a new Word file and rewrites the entire manuscript as she revises. This is not a new method, as you’ve probably guessed. It’s a very old method. It’s what everyone had to do before word processors. As writers we’ve gained quite a bit with the invention of word processors, of course. Most of us type faster than we write longhand, so we can chase our thoughts more effectively now, can get that good swift stuff down that always wants to stay just out of reach. But now that I’ve started revising by typing the words again, I’m thinking this speed has come at a price.
I opened a new Word doc, and sat down with a printout of the manuscript beside me, and began to type. I found myself automatically tightening the language as I went, moving things around, finding sentences that once pleased me didn’t say what I needed them to now that my fingers were spelling them out again. I had to combine two important scenes that weren’t working and then expand to make one big important scene that HAD to work flawlessly. It’s not yet working flawlessly–much left to do and I think that scene might kill me yet–but I was able to drop the necessary bits from one scene seamlessly into the other because I wasn’t trying to shoehorn. I was writing a new scene based on the two old ones.
Maybe this sounds obvious. Good ideas often do… I’m just so thrilled it’s working.
But oh my god it’s tiring to work this way. Slow and hard. I was at it for about five hours today and as I walked home I felt like I’d been awake and working for a week straight. It’s worth it, though, totally worth it. I didn’t think it was possible to have the story feel this alive in my hands in revision. I thought after first draft that thrill was mostly gone. Mind you, I’m only four chapters into this grand experiment. I’ll let you know how my stamina holds out.
Oh wow did I need to read this. Been plugging away very timidly at revising an excerpt from a novel-in-progress, to be used as my portfolio for MFA applications.
Talk about pressure to get it right. Ugh. And I’ve always been a happy-go-lucky first draft writer who just abhors revision. In fact, it may be my fear of revision that’s kept me out of grad school this long. How sad, that thought.
I am going to try this method. Probably tomorrow.
Google Reader did that too me. Sorry I didn’t notice – yesterday’s comment belongs here.
Fingers and other appendages crossed on behalf of your stamina… I think it’s wonderful that you’ve found a method that works so well, and admirable that you’re willing to put in the necessary sweat!
I just read the Clockwork Muse — which is a small book that feels VERY obvious. Turns out, though, that much of it wasn’t for me. I’m writing a dissertation — totally different, I understand, much less daunting in some ways — but that’s his advice. Each draft, new file. Retype. He also advises the print out, each chapter, each days work, so you see your work building up and growing.
Ooooh– interesting process. Says the poet, who could afford to type everything anew as she revises, but only does it when she can’t find her original file.
Hi, Cari, I’ve mostly lurked here for years but I want to thank you for letting us look over your shoulder as you create your work. Whether I ever write for publication or not, you’ve given me a renewed and stronger appreciate for the craft and bloody hard work a writer goes through to produce the books I love. thanks, chica!
I wanted to chime in and second Caroline. I love to hear about Thumper and Portland and your knitting, but a major reason I come here is for this glance at your process. I am going through revisions of my first novel (I have not sought an agent yet) and sometimes it feels like I’m working in a vacuum. It’s great to come to your blog and see my feeling echoed. Damn this is hard, but man am I excited.
From a bystander, the *doing* through *writing* makes complete sense to me. It’s through the process of putting pen to paper or fingers to keys where you slow down and see how things are working.
I tend to revise all my writing by actually writing on the printouts of my drafts, sometimes taking arrows to the backs of pages so I can expand, play with the words etc. I write mostly policy memos and articles so it’s a shorter process, but I find it better than trying to working within the open word doc where I just end up opening comment bubbles and writing there.
I hope it is productive for you–if nothing else, starting the process got you going and now you’re back into your novel with momentum and that’s fantastic!
I always used to write my novels that way, and when I feel blocked, I do this. I may try this method now!
Not long ago I was sitting on a bench on campus knitting. It turned out I was in an officially designated smoker’s spot outside the science research building. So a guy I did not know came and had his smoke break. We said little more than hi to each other that time. I stayed and knitted more. It turns out I was there quite a while. He came out for another smoke break. We laughed. I said to him, “I’m still here and you’re back!” I gestured to my knitting and said, “One row at a time,” and he responded in a heavy German accent, “Just like science!”
Apparently it’s just like EVERYTHING. Just one word (row/sentence/chapter) at a time. And one foot in front of the other.
Aren’t I just full of platitudes tonight? 😀
Wow, that sounds very intense. I am sure your hardwork will pay off and I look forward to reading it someday.
I’ve done this, myself, and I agree– re-typing each word makes every single one accountable. I can’t wait to read the next (and/or final) draft. I’m fortunate to have gotten a sneak peek, so I know how beautiful it is, and how relevant to the past and the present (and I confidently assert) the future. Slog on, my dear.
Two writer friends and I have named ourselves the “Face down club” because we all realized this is what we needed to do with our novel revisions: put the old draft face down and write the story that we’ve grown to know. I’m cheering you on!
How did I miss this entry?? *facepalm*
Also yay! Once you get over the fear of starting your word count at zero it gets easier. Though my third draft was intensely painful and hard to write. I wonder if we’re both plumbing the emotional depths of the characters and that is some murky shit to wade through…
Cari…what a good suggestion!I’m going to use it on the next revision of this dang-blang short story. It is an old school method I’ve used before, but forgotten about. I think it works because we re-inhabit the story again as we lay it down word by word. Then the sentences, the train of thought, etc., all mesh because we are literally re-thinking them. Thanks for the reminder!
ps skipped over here from HTML and so glad I did.