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Welcome to the latest edition of the “Longhand” column, featuring deeper dives into writing topics. This column is a benefit for paid subscribers of Footnotes.
Revision is my favorite part of the writing process, but that’s not to say it is the easiest part. Honestly, I don't know if there is an easy part to writing, but there is plenty of fun to be had—otherwise why do it? I enjoy revision because it makes me feel like an artisan taking the raw materials of a first draft—the lump of clay or block of wood—and molding or chiseling it into something approaching a work of art.
Early in my writing career, I didn’t have a solid process for going from first draft to a draft ready for my editor. I would read the manuscript over and over again, make tweaks here and there haphazardly, and repeat the process until I was sick of my story and either threw it away or figured it was probably done.
But practice and deadlines have turned this merry-go-round of chaos into a streamlined queue of chaos that feels more manageable, even if it’s still daunting.
The first stage of my revision process is actually to do nothing. I set the manuscript aside for awhile, for as long as I reasonably can considering deadlines and momentum. At least a week, preferably a month.