Self-Editing Resources for the Serious Creative Writer (A FundsforWriters Sponsor)
Published: Tue, 01/19/16
Hey there,
I’m Joan Dempsey, and I work with a lot of writers.
Lately, I’ve discovered that when it comes to revision, writers seem to fall into two camps:
Boy, are writers passionate about their chosen camp!
In a recent online course I offered, nearly 1,000 writers weighed in on which revision strategy they believe is ‘correct’, and why they revise the way they do – here’s a summary:
Camp #1 (The Shitty First Draft)
Camp #2 (Revise as You Write)
Which camp do you fall into, and why? (Shoot me an e-mail – I read every one.)
The truth is, both methods work just fine.
Neither is ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’.
In the end, one way or another, you’ll have a finished piece.
They key is to find out what works best for you.
To that end, I offer a free monthly e-newsletter - Revise with Confidence: Self-Editing Resources for the Serious Creative Writer –
that will help you discover new revision tips so you can improve your writing.
Each month you’ll get the newsletter, which features the following sections in every issue:
It’s important to me that I help you discover what works best … for you!
Join me, and sign up today for the free Revise with Confidence e-newsletter.
To your writing!
Joan
Joan Dempsey
joan@literaryliving.com
I’m Joan Dempsey, and I work with a lot of writers.
Lately, I’ve discovered that when it comes to revision, writers seem to fall into two camps:
- Those who swear by the ‘shitty first draft’ (as Anne Lamott might say) – they get a draft done before even thinking about revision; and
- Those who sheepishly admit they ‘revise at the point of composition’ (as Verlyn Klinkenborg espouses) – they revise while writing so that first draft is as polished as a twelfth.
Boy, are writers passionate about their chosen camp!
In a recent online course I offered, nearly 1,000 writers weighed in on which revision strategy they believe is ‘correct’, and why they revise the way they do – here’s a summary:
Camp #1 (The Shitty First Draft)
- When I get a new story idea I have to get it down fast – I’m in panic until I capture the idea!
- Every piece of writing advice I’ve heard says this is the way to do it – write first, revise later.
- If I stopped to revise as I wrote, I’d get about two pages done in a year!
- By writing without an editor looking over my shoulder, I can keep myself from freezing up.
Camp #2 (Revise as You Write)
- I can’t bear to overlook a comma splice or a poorly chosen word when I’m writing – I have to fix it immediately.
- I think that every opportunity to write is an opportunity to write well, so why practice crappy writing, just for the sake of speed?
- Writing is rewriting, so why wait?
- I love to perfect each sentence as I go, and then each chapter, and then …
Which camp do you fall into, and why? (Shoot me an e-mail – I read every one.)
The truth is, both methods work just fine.
Neither is ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’.
In the end, one way or another, you’ll have a finished piece.
They key is to find out what works best for you.
To that end, I offer a free monthly e-newsletter - Revise with Confidence: Self-Editing Resources for the Serious Creative Writer –
that will help you discover new revision tips so you can improve your writing.
Each month you’ll get the newsletter, which features the following sections in every issue:
- Revision Tip
- Book Recommendation
- Grammar Tip
- Inspiration from Twitter
- Notable Quote
- News about Recent Revision Resources and Upcoming Online Revision Courses
It’s important to me that I help you discover what works best … for you!
Join me, and sign up today for the free Revise with Confidence e-newsletter.
To your writing!
Joan
Joan Dempsey
joan@literaryliving.com