Fix-It Friday
June 26, 2009
This week’s revision tip comes from Sara Zarr:
For every major revision, I like to start with a brand new word processing document and work from a printed draft. I find that when I edit an existing draft on the screen, it’s too easy to get hung up on the way it was rather than feel free to make it what it needs to be. The act of having to retype the whole thing does slow you down, but it also forces your brain into “create” mode rather than “correct” mode. Save the onscreen editing for the minor revisions and final tweaking.
Thanks, Sara!
Sara is the author of Story of a Girl and Sweethearts. Her next novel, Once Was Lost, hits shelves this October.
Entry Filed under: Revising, Revisions, Writing, YA fiction, authors. .
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1.
Martha Flynn | June 26, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Wow! That’s really dedicated – I clearly have a ways to go in my technique. Thanks for sharing!
2.
Shari | June 28, 2009 at 10:27 am
Starting with a blank screen would probably freak me out just a little, but I can see the wisdom in it! I think I’ll try it next time.
Thanks for dropping by my blog, Martha.
3.
Carol Garvin | June 27, 2009 at 7:24 am
“It’s too easy to get hung up on the way it was rather than feel free to make it what it needs to be.”
That makes sense, too. Sometimes I find myself rearranging the same words instead of finding a better way to express an idea. I’m not sure I have the fortitude to start over with a totally blank slate, although maybe it would work well for me when re-writing isolated portions of the ms.
4.
Shari | June 28, 2009 at 10:30 am
The idea of forcing your brain into create mode rather than correct mode makes total sense to me, but for sure I can relate to your hesitancy to start with a blank screen — good idea to try it when revising a chunk of the ms!
5.
Stephanie | June 30, 2009 at 9:20 am
OOOhhh….I think I might have to try this one.
6.
Shari | June 30, 2009 at 10:19 am
I know, me too!
7.
Kim Reynolds | December 17, 2009 at 10:06 am
I actually have revised this way for a few years. I do it just slightly different though. I print out the piece or chapter, but then I start revising at the top of the document, as if it was a fresh draft. I push the text down by at least a page so I can’t see it on the screen. This way, if there is a paragraph or two that I’m happy with I can scroll down, cut and paste it, and save some time (I’m a slow typist).