I've been trying to post more regularly. One strategy is writing posts ahead of time. On
I'm amazed how often I see things that should come out, or be revised, even though I work pretty hard to make posts as concise as possible when I
What does this mean for you?
When you plan your writing time, include time to let the project sit.
If you plan to be done done done with your novel on M/D/2013, count forward 7 days, then read it one last time on M/D+7/2013. If you don't find at least one change you missed, I'll eat my hat.
Here's the version I wrote a couple days ago:
Time.
I've tried to post more regularly here. One helpful strategy is writing posts ahead of time. When I do that, I go back and look at the post before it goes up just to see if I missed anything.
I'm amazed at how often I see things that should come out even though I worked pretty hard to make the post as concise as possible when I wrote it.
What does this mean for you?
When you plan your writing time, include time to let the project sit.
If you plan to be done done done with your novel on M/D/2013, count forward 7 days, then read it one last time on M/D+7/2013. If you don't find at least one change you missed, I'll eat my hat.
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The third revision is marked by strikeouts in the top text.
13 comments:
I don't know why, but sometimes revisions are fun and easy and then other times they are hard and painful.
When I LOSE my writing ways, your blog keeps me on track. Thanks! :)
What a coincidence. I just realized a flaw -- one measley word -- in my entry for A.S. King's writing contest. I already got a mulligan when I noticed something didn't get 'copied' before I 'pasted.' That was on August 8th, and here it is 6 days later and I noticed another error. siiiiigh
Time is on my side, yes it is
Time is on my side, yes it is
I find it even more helpful to have someone else I trust read it. Even after the passage of a few days, my eyes often see what they expect to see, whether that's actually on the page or not. My wife is great at catching those little glitches and gremlins that I would blush to see in print.
Wouldn't it be better to count back 7 days, and re-read on M/D-7/2013?
Testing my new LOGIN...
If this works, then my comment is I have trouble leaving things alone. Seven days...I'd have find something else to keep myself occupied and not obsessing about it.
As Janet Reid would say, "holy fuckamoli!"
I've been going through withdrawals not being able to post a comment out here for TWO DAYS! "Blogger" no longer seems to like my Wordpress LOGIN or something.
Adele, the math works either way of course. If D is the day you're realy really really DONE then it's D-7.
If however, as most writers I know think, you THINK you're done on D, then you count forward (+7) and re-read.
Now matter how you count: give yourself a week to let the manuscript sit, then re-read.
I spelled really wrong on purpose.
REALLY.
I write, rewrite, it sits, I edit and edit again.
My column...I like to give it a day, at least before MY deadline, which is actually a couple of days before their deadline.
I edit again and always, always, always READ IT OUT LOUD to the dog. He gets a Milkbone for being so attentive.
Wuff.
Reading in another format helped me. Crazy. I still missed something.
People have said they spent years on revisions. I thought I was finished 7 months ago, but what you say is true. Each time I let my final rewrite sit and then come back to it, I find a better way to say what I had thought was already the best way to write it. I think we can always improve our work, but there comes a time when we need to stop. Unfortunately, I'm not there yet!
Okay Janet so I revised and revised again, walked away, went back, read it to the dog until he fell asleep, finally posted on my blog because it was perfect, and then left for work.
Seven hours later I come home, reread and find six, count-em six errors and one mistake so stupid I should have been a math major. I am embarrassed.
Having a threesome tonight, me, Strunk and White.
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