In my last post, I talked about how revision gets me down, but honestly, I really do love it. Here are some of the good points:
1.Since I know the ending, it's clear what details I need to emphasize to set it up and can plant them gracefully, instead of throwing in everything relevant in sight.
2. I get a good laugh from some of the dumb things I put in during the mad rush to get something written. Why did I ever think they'd work?
3. I know more about my characters since I've seen them in action, so it's easier to get inside their heads. And it's interesting to see how they've changed my original plans.
4. Since I don't make lists of characteristics before I begin, my characters sometimes morph in unusual ways. They sometimes change their hair colour, height, or special talent, and, in one unfortunate incident, gender. These things are so easy to fix, it's a real confidence booster.
5. If the new section isn't working, I always have something to fall back on (assuming I remember to save the new stuff in a new document).
6. It's fun to develop more voice by drawing it out and exaggerating a little.
7. During revisions, I start to feel my jumbled words are beginning to turn into a book that someone besides me might actually want to read.
What about you? What do you like about making revisions?
Definitely seeing some kind of better prose and story take shape makes revision fun!
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I came back because you PROMISED to post something good about revision. :)
ReplyDeleteLove #1. Knowing the ending can help you focus on getting there. Can't do that in a draft.
#2 - hee, hee. I do a lot of "Why did you do that?"
Your list has some great stuff. These are all things you can't do in a draft.
And even though I say I hate it, if I had to choose between draft and revision -- I would take revision. SO much easier to work with something than nothing.
Good luck with your revisions. :)