tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post3904997466525225327..comments2024-03-26T11:14:00.710-07:00Comments on The Pen And Ink Blog: Never Right the First Time or How I Learned to Love RevisionThe Pen and Ink Blogspothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01709195512534318571noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-83831638906640918782011-07-18T15:28:35.736-07:002011-07-18T15:28:35.736-07:00I apologize for not commenting sooner, because my ...I apologize for not commenting sooner, because my computer has been suffering from "linkage-itis" so I didn't know y'all were over here saying nice things about my post until Carmela emailed me just now. Thank you, everyone (especially Carmela!) who works with kids. So many students are afraid to put anything on paper at all, that you really have to put the old "positive spin" on revision.(I don't even use "the r-word" with some groups.) I tell my students is that "this is a good story, but I can see some ways you can make this a SUPER story." Who doesn't want a SUPER story?<br />I am a verse novel right now. (Have I ever written one before? No!) Since I can't make myself write in chronological order, I write whatever is clearest in my mind at the moment. When I get it all put together, I can see where the holes are. I think of my fellow Mississippian Eudora Welty who, in the days beforecomputers, would spread her typewritten pages across a large table, cutting the pages into scenes and paragraphs. She would then re-arrange the(m by straight pinning them in order--which reminds me so much of my junior high home ec days of cutting and pinning dress patterns. (I have had much better success with writing than dressmaking)<br />So as I am sorting through six different versions of the same scene, I find myself doing sort of the same thing, cutting the best lines from all of them, and rearranging them (with moveable glue stick on colored paper). If it was good enough for Miss Eudora....mary ann rodmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13639787144894232298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-46865921727365717552011-07-18T14:37:07.344-07:002011-07-18T14:37:07.344-07:00I love this post of Mary Ann's, too. I think a...I love this post of Mary Ann's, too. I think all young (and many not-so-young) writers hate revision. In the summer writing camps I teach for grades 3-8, getting them to revise is like pulling teeth. What sometimes helps if when I show them all the editorial on not one but TWO drafts of my novel before it was published. :-)Carmela Martinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15543808551988338496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-19540799565624192422011-07-11T17:25:57.228-07:002011-07-11T17:25:57.228-07:00Thank you for such a well-written post, Mary Ann. ...Thank you for such a well-written post, Mary Ann. I had a good laugh as I read, for I teach a room full of spirited seventh graders who also subscribe to the "write it once" philosophy! You always offer great writing strategies, and I'll soon be using these revision tricks with my students and in my own writing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-30976637409923595852011-07-10T18:43:23.688-07:002011-07-10T18:43:23.688-07:00Great post - it made me laugh. Fifteen year olds d...Great post - it made me laugh. Fifteen year olds do think they know it all! Great revision tricks also.<br /><br /><a href="http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com" rel="nofollow">Karen Cioffi Writing and Marketing</a>Karen Cioffihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15492421057039326702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-16926100986679371092011-07-09T23:37:49.915-07:002011-07-09T23:37:49.915-07:00What great practical suggestions. Thank you, Mary ...What great practical suggestions. Thank you, Mary Ann. It's easy to get too attached to a first draft to be able to evaluate it clearly. These are all clever approaches for gaining a fresh perspective.<br /><br />I'm really looking forward to featuring more VCFA articles Tuesdays in August, on my blog, <a href="http://www.onbeyondwordsandpictures.com/" rel="nofollow">On Beyond Words & Pictures</a>Megan Frances Abrahamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02259684930983493989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-5762765087320498502011-07-09T16:26:34.811-07:002011-07-09T16:26:34.811-07:00Wow, what a wonderful compliment. Thank you, Sophi...Wow, what a wonderful compliment. Thank you, Sophia and, yes, I do remember you from Kidlit. I wish I could have stayed longer.Susan B Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10752641433121011158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-79892149499538552842011-07-09T14:01:47.926-07:002011-07-09T14:01:47.926-07:00I surfed over casually from the SCBWI link, thinki...I surfed over casually from the SCBWI link, thinking, "Not another revision post..." <br /><br />I ended up churning through this well-written post, gobbling up the delightful Susan Berger's first line posts (Hi Susan! Remember me from kidlit drinks?) and now I'm a follower and a believer. LOVE this blog!Sophia Changhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10946233873722107937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-38586731808292237722011-07-09T08:20:34.559-07:002011-07-09T08:20:34.559-07:00Great post. I always say that getting the rough dr...Great post. I always say that getting the rough draft done is the easy part. Revising is work. I love it though, but it often takes as much time or more to revise--to get it perfect. And several run throughs. Thanks for the tips.Laurisa Reyeshttp://1000wrongs.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-23191410519274410202011-07-09T07:18:05.468-07:002011-07-09T07:18:05.468-07:00Nice to meet a fellow VCFA grad! I graduated in su...Nice to meet a fellow VCFA grad! I graduated in summer of '04 in MFA in Writing (Poetry). I am following your blog. Feel free to visit mine and follow me too! We also could do guest blogs for one another... gets you more followers I hear.Carol Willette Bachofnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10851607014763514265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-84316486826044793582011-07-09T05:28:02.300-07:002011-07-09T05:28:02.300-07:00What a funny and wonderful post! So many good and...What a funny and wonderful post! So many good and take-away things said here. Thanks!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01114162398848233118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-43626910074642688992011-07-09T04:49:34.089-07:002011-07-09T04:49:34.089-07:00Loved this! thank goodness for those who tweet fab...Loved this! thank goodness for those who tweet fabulous things!! Just the stage I'm at and giving me the proper push to finish what I started.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03667521490706435608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-32003439261993711422011-07-09T03:11:08.192-07:002011-07-09T03:11:08.192-07:00Thank you so much, what a fantastic and insightful...Thank you so much, what a fantastic and insightful post. Revising does my head in, I am not a natural sub editor, and it feels like I could keep rewriting forever.Alixhttp://romancingalix.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-70222321119677682932011-07-08T12:34:09.289-07:002011-07-08T12:34:09.289-07:00Actually...I thought I did that with one of your m...Actually...I thought I did that with one of your ms's. I know I did it with my own.<br />Great post Mary Ann. Thank you so much for the advice.Susan B Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10752641433121011158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-57841295949249315062011-07-08T10:46:15.902-07:002011-07-08T10:46:15.902-07:00"Carefully, he counted out fourteen pages and..."Carefully, he counted out fourteen pages and thunked them into the trash can." 'There,' he said. 'Your story really starts on page fifteen.'”<br /><br />Jeepers, if I did that in my critique group, they'd burn me.<br />Sincerely,<br />AnonymousThe Pen and Ink Blogspothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01709195512534318571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8226553632363517570.post-63021395135970208532011-07-08T10:31:06.835-07:002011-07-08T10:31:06.835-07:00Thanks for this post. I will be sharing it on twit...Thanks for this post. I will be sharing it on twitter because all writers have been at this stage which is where I feel I am currently at. Trying to revise. It's not easy and I feel I may have to tuck it away for awhile. Thanks for the much needed wisdom. :)Danielle Spearshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04952224787658244760noreply@blogger.com