Revise the Heck out of that Sucker
Very few people have heard of the book Trimalchio. Thank God, I say. At one point the title for the Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald ditched Trimalchio before the final printing. What looks to be a super interesting look at Fitzgerald's revision process, Matthew Bruccoli published a facsimile edition of the galley-that-was-known-as-Trimalchio and provides a clear look at Fitzgerald's revision process.
Back as an undergrad at the University of Kansas (go Jayhawks!) I remember coming across a facsimile of the handwritten draft of the Great Gatsby and marveled at how the first page or so appeared nearly exactly as they did in my print version. I think I might have gotten the idea from this quick brush with Fitzgerald's handwriting that he was a genius without need of rewriting or revision and spent years beating myself up for not having perfect prose effortlessly go from hand to page. Thankfully, as I've grown as a reader I've learned more about not just Fitzgerald but all writers and their writing processes. And as a writer, I've grown more and more fond of the revision process. As an editor and writing instructor, I've become a promoter, worshipper, demander of revision.
Lost Edens is publishing at around 45,000 words, give or take. At one point, it was nearly 90,000 words and this was long before it went in front of an editor. I had one fabulous early reader who read all 90,000 words and was wise enough to point out that the story that needed to be told didn't require that kind of a word count. The story that's told is much better for the deletion, adjustments, rearranging, additions, and many years of fussing. Or, simply put: revision.
My advice to my students and to all writers: allow yourself a really awful first draft and then revise the heck out of the sucker. Make writing an iterative process and not one that relies on divine inspiration and you'll do much more writing in much less time, which is what we all want, isnt' it?
Back as an undergrad at the University of Kansas (go Jayhawks!) I remember coming across a facsimile of the handwritten draft of the Great Gatsby and marveled at how the first page or so appeared nearly exactly as they did in my print version. I think I might have gotten the idea from this quick brush with Fitzgerald's handwriting that he was a genius without need of rewriting or revision and spent years beating myself up for not having perfect prose effortlessly go from hand to page. Thankfully, as I've grown as a reader I've learned more about not just Fitzgerald but all writers and their writing processes. And as a writer, I've grown more and more fond of the revision process. As an editor and writing instructor, I've become a promoter, worshipper, demander of revision.
Lost Edens is publishing at around 45,000 words, give or take. At one point, it was nearly 90,000 words and this was long before it went in front of an editor. I had one fabulous early reader who read all 90,000 words and was wise enough to point out that the story that needed to be told didn't require that kind of a word count. The story that's told is much better for the deletion, adjustments, rearranging, additions, and many years of fussing. Or, simply put: revision.
My advice to my students and to all writers: allow yourself a really awful first draft and then revise the heck out of the sucker. Make writing an iterative process and not one that relies on divine inspiration and you'll do much more writing in much less time, which is what we all want, isnt' it?
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