I’m still working on stories that I started in college. I graduated in 1993.
Today I dug out one that I drafted in 2003. It’s “complete” in the sense that it has a beginning, a middle and an end, but it’s far from finished. My revision history shows that I’ve worked on it every year since then. The first draft was about 3,500 words. The version that I worked on today is 2,600.
I can draft a story in a matter of hours. Revising the damn things is what takes so long.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Lou Quillio // Aug 27, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Even the best writer I know is much too long at first cut, and always will be. That’s how things are.
When you’re streaming, you cheat. The subs, preds and obs are unsure, so we shade with modifiers. They’re like notes to ourselves about how to choose better subs, preds and obs later.
So here’s what you do when editing. Cut every adverb ending in -ly, in favor of a verb that doesn’t need it. Then cut the other adverbs (especially prepositional) on the same terms. If eight percent survive, you’re cool. Do this.
Adjectives are next. Flatten all prepositional adjectives to a single word, then cut the unworthy singles. Many deaths.
Next, check for flowery verbs. If any reader must pause, it’s too much. Replace.
Usually, what’s left needs reorganizing, and sometimes there’s nothing good to salvage. The reason is that we didn’t have as much to say as we thought. Modifiers don’t substitute for plain argument. They don’t make points. If your point can’t stand without them, you don’t have one.
This stern filter is well known to the best — who also know that they will ignore it in draft. But then they circle back, and that’s why they’re the best.
Those Kerouac rolls are not what made it into print, not even close. The editing is the writing.
LQ
2 Lou Quillio // Aug 28, 2008 at 12:07 am
Sorry, might’ve blown past my own point:
Cutting hard is core craft. Once you see it, and why, and maybe how, you can get on with it. Faster. Words aren’t precious. Ideas are.
LQ
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