“The work you’re writing is worth your attention. It’s in revision that you will truly find something meaningful.” Antonya Nelson
Have you been surprised in revision to find an underlying meaning that you hadn’t realized was there? It’s especially delightful in longer works – novellas or novels- to put in time, effort and begin to see layers that you can, at times, enhance. I used to think a few drafts was enough – a couple of go throughs on a story and I thought I’d done the best I could do. It’s taken time for me to learn to give the revising process more time and attention than the creating process —- even though, the creating process can be orgasmic, while the revising process can be more like those tempting days before a first kiss — agonizing, waiting, will it happen? Will all be well with the world?
I hope your writing is moving beyond the joys of creating and onto the sublime pleasure of revising to “find something meaningful.”
