The three R's by Lorilee Guenter

Write, revise, release. Most of the time, I have little trouble with the first R: write. If the idea is present, I can pick up my pen and spill ink across the page as I meet characters. I play with connections and clarify thoughts for essay or meditations. Sometimes the writing is only worthy of my journal page. Other times the stories and essays are worth another look.

Revise, revise, revise, there are days this feels like a bad word. It is the punishment for rambling. Other days I embrace it. Revision becomes a chance to consider the lessons held on the page. I learn more about the characters as I look at the gaps in the story. I see the teaching God is doing as He brings seemingly disparate ideas together in an essay. Revision in a way becomes an opportunity to relearn as I refine.

The time I spend refining a piece of writing varies. My longer stories have been through many revisions. They have had a few readers but mainly reside on my computer. Only one novel length story has been handed off to trusted early readers. I know the comments and critique from these readers is valuable for improving my writing. They ask good questions. They point out awkward passages and gaps in the story. I return to revision and in spite of the most recent feedback, refrain from releasing it.

I scrutinise and revise my shorter pieces as well. Nothing is released without revision. I find that the short pieces cycle through the revision stage fewer times. It is easier to hold the whole in mind as I consider the chosen word over a possible substitute. I also find it easier to catch gaps and repetition when the piece can be read in a single sitting. Even so, these are usually examined many times.

The hardest of the three steps is release. I want to release well written, well edited writing. I strive to improve my skills and thereby improve the readability of each story and essay. Since there is always room for improvement, there is always a reason to scrutinise each piece one more time before I release it. I have learned to overcome this hurdle and release some of my small articles, poems and stories. I have yet to release a longer story into the wild. I am once again revising the novel that is closest to its release. I don't know how many times I have looked at it. Some of the chapters are at the point where I add a word I removed on the previous read through or vice versa. Still I subject the story to another read.

As I stumble with releasing my story, the product of my imagination, I am reminded that God didn't give me a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). Holding on to writing that needs outside eyes for improvement is not an act of courage but of fear. Likewise hoarding stories that are ready to send to an editor and then following through to publishing them, is steeped in some amount of fear. There are many "what ifs" that can stand in the way of taking the next steps. However, at some point the next step is not further revision. Instead, it is trusting that God will take the words where He wants them to go. Sitting on my shelf unread, they are a weight. Released, they may encourage, entertain or challenge others.

I think it is time for me to move from revision to release on at least one project. There are more stories waiting for the refining process and still more to be written. Hopefully you'll join me by taking the next step with your writing, whatever that step might be. 

I'm looking forward to a fourth stage: respond. I know if I take a step of courage the next step will become closer and closer.

Lorilee Guenter has moved from only writing in her journal to sharing small pieces of writing with the world. Now she is preparing to move from "just one more revision" to receiving a professional edit of her story. It's the next step.

Rewrite Rut by Carol Harrison

I don’t enjoy the seemingly endless rewrite rut of revision and edits. Maybe no one does, I don’t know. Yet I also know my first draft – that brain dump of information and ideas is never good enough let alone excellent.

I want to strive for excellence but I get impatient with the process if it needs too much revision or rewriting. How many times is too many to rework a project? I think it varies with the type of writing and its length as well. Short pieces seem to take less time for me.

I also realize that after a few tries working on, revising, rewriting, and editing I can no longer see where to fix the piece or improve on it. At first it is much easier to see mistakes and missing information. I also rely on early readers and check their suggestions of what is working and what isn’t. Are there gaps in the story? Is something unclear? Have I used period language if it is historical? Then it is time to see which suggestions must be implemented and it is back to revision and rewrites.

When I can’t find any more to change and am impatient for it to be done, it is time for the editing. My editor finds crutch words, overused words, grammatical, and spelling mistakes even still lurking in the piece. Then it is time to implement all the editor’s suggestions and fix the problem areas. I can see these in other people’s writing but miss them in my own. Once the changes are inputted, it is time to head back to the editor for another look. This might happen multiple times.

How often do I rewrite? The short answer is that it varies. I have had short pieces only need a few edits and no revisions. I have had other pieces need both revisions and edits which is why I think it depends on the piece of writing how often rewrites need to happen – at least for me.

How long do I hang on before letting my writing go off into the world of readers? Too often, I think I let my writing go too soon and only later wish I could fix one more thing or maybe even multiple parts. But it’s too late at that point. I’ve already hit send and it is off into the world.

One thing I need to work on is my patience with each bit of writing and all the revisions and edits that it might need. This way I can learn to strive for excellence instead of settling for good enough each and every time.

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” (Colossians 3: 23)

Carol Harrison writes and rewrites from her home in Saskatoon, SK. She enjoys getting ideas down when they strike but is an impatient reviser.