I have broken schedule (again). In my defense I have to admit that A-Z Blogging on Daily (w)rite is taking up all the time I set aside for blogging. I’m going to schedule as many posts on this blog as I can till the end of April. Come May and I should be regular with my schedule (so she said !)
I am revising 6 short stories this week, and have a question to ask you all:
When revising, do you keep your emotional creative side aside and listen only to logic?
I am scared I’ve ruined a story by listening too hard to logic, and not enough to the dream-trance side of me. Would like to know what other writers think of this aspect of the revision process.
I hope to see again Monday. Till then, Happy Writing! (or re-writing!)
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I feel, overall, that logic wins out. Sometimes cutting out part of the work is hard, but it has to be done for the good of the story. Snip Snip…oh, much better.
I'd like to revise my counsel.
Before you start revising, just listen to the right song. Headphones help.
All I can say is that my heart goes out to you. It is the perennial struggle of an artist to write in their own blood and then have the coolness of head to clean it up.
I think revision is something that has to be attempted with a very steady but light touch and I will pass on my husband's wisdom to you: 'let the editor in you help the writer achieve your goal by patiently letting the work grow under your loving keystrokes.'
Imagine a plant that is requiring pruning. You don't want to leave too many wild shoots but neither do you want to hack into the living center- and the editor side of the writer is often capable of just that.
Hope that helps!
yeah i'm probably in the same boat as you. revision is the time to make cold, analytical decisions.
I usually think my work needs more emotion in the revision process. So, I tend to add it in. I like drama. Can you do both? Edit with logic then if you feel the emotion is lacking, put it back in?
Thanks for your opinions, ladies!
And Rachael, thanks for the heads up….I commented on your blog through a different email account, am going to be doing that from the correct account now.
Many of my revisions involve getting rid of the "logical" writing and adding in "emotional" 🙂
Hugs,
Rach
PS – Did you leave a comment on Rach Writes… a few minutes ago? I've tracked you down by googling you, but there's something wrong with your Blogger profile – pop back and check it out in the comment you just left me. Wanted to let you know, cause you could be missing out on heaps of followers 🙁
It depends, when revising you need a certain amount of logic always, but I think the emotion side is of the most importance.
I tend to lean more heavily towards the emotional side. Not sure that is always best but usually that side is what wins out.