The Writing Center

My friend Sean, who’s working on a novel, recently asked me how I go about rewriting (and he knows how painstakingly I rewrite everything). I’ve found that revision is probably the most important stage of the writing process, and yet it’s often the most overlooked. Why? Because it can be really horrible to read over something you’ve written and realize it’s not that great. Also, revision is hard — it takes a lot of time, a great deal of focus, and a willingness to sacrifice a few things you might love about your story (usually things you’ve spent hours and hours working on).

So why must we do it? Because it makes the difference between poor work and good work, good work and great work, or great work and brilliant work. Revision always helps.

Here are few revision rules to live by:

- Take one step at a time. Look at the big picture first — character, story, theme — before tackling your work scene-by-scene, or before worrying about comma splices. Once the overall story is flowing, then you can sweat the small stuff.
- Don’t be afraid to trim. It may be hard to cut sentences or paragraphs you love, but be ruthless and see what happens. You might discover wonderful results – and if you don’t, you can always revert to your original. But you won’t know unless you try.
- Revise when you’re ready. If you’ve got good momentum on a piece, don’t stop to reread it; just keep writing. Then give it a little space. Then go back and have a look with fresh eyes. This is the best time to start a rewrite, when you’ve got enough distance to ask yourself, What am I trying to say? and Am I actually saying it?
- Engage a friend, writer, editor — someone who will be honest with you and offer you constructive feedback. These people can be hard to find but are well worth having in your writing life.

We’re pleased to announce an exciting lineup of classes, which begin on April 15th. We’ve booked great spaces throughout North County and hope to see you at one or more of them. Midge is teaching, and I’m managing registrations. If you think you’d like to attend, please let me know soon as there is a discount for early registration.

Telling Your Story
A 4-week Introductory Workshop
Classes begin April 15 in Escondido.

Breaking Into Fiction
A 4-week Introductory Workshop
Classes begin April 20 in Cardiff.

Getting Published
Understanding the Literary Marketplace

Grammar & Style
What Every Creative Writer Needs to Know

These two classes will both be held on Saturday, May 13, in Carlsbad.

People love a good story, whether it’s a book, a movie — or even a business. And it seems that lately the business world has taken a greater interest in the finer points of storytelling. According to Publishers Marketplace, HarperCollins just signed a deal with authors Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman for a book tentatively titled PERSUASION: The Five Key Elements of Stories that Sell Products and Ideas, deconstructing storytelling into five major components (Passion, Hero, Antagonist, Action, and Transformation) in order to teach successful communication through narrative.

The nice thing about selling through storytelling is that you really have to think about what makes your story unique, interesting, and worth your reader’s time. Coming up with a good story may force you to rethink how you do business altogether, and that’s a good thing.

So what is your story? Seth Godin, in his book All Marketers Are Liars, says “Your goal should not (must not) be to create a story that is quick, involves no risks, and is without controversy. Boredom will not help you grow.”

The good news is that you don’t need to spend a million dollars on a fancy ad campaign to get your story out. Today, all you need is a Web site or a blog.

And a story.

“I’ll never have it as good as prison again,” said author Dewitt Gilmore in yesterday’s New York Times. ”For writing, anyway.”

This New York Times article, “Street Lit With Publishing Cred: From Prison to a Four-Book Deal,” is proof that writers do need rooms of their own: Gilmore (whose pen name is Relentless Aaron) began writing his street-lit novels in 1996 during a stint in a federal prison in New Jersey; now, the Times reports, he has a six-figure book deal with publisher St. Martin’s Press. He’s written thirty manuscripts, has printed ten of them himself, and will publish his next four with St. Martin’s.

As Gilmore told the Times, referring to the time he spent in the solitary confinment of an eight-by-four cell, “Nothing could match solitary for writing.” As a writer and writing instructor, I couldn’t agree more. What I recommend for my students, however, is not a trip to prison but finding ways to create their own solitary confinement — on the outside.

Full-time writers — those who are fortunate enough to live and write without holding another day job — don’t have quite the same challenges in carving out time for writing. For them, it’s their work day. For the rest of us — those who work, teach, parent — finding even an hour or two of writing time can be next to impossible.

Here are a couple of the tips I find useful in making time to write:

- Think of yourself as a writer. As Miles told Joel in the film Risky Business, “If you can’t say it, you can’t do it.” If you don’t see yourself as a writer, how will you allow yourself the time to write? First, tell yourself that your work is important. Remind yourself that you have things to say. Be adamant about setting aside time to say them.

- Remind your friends and family that you are a writer. When you create time in your schedule to write — especially when it takes time away from them — make it known that you are working. Because you are working — no matter what pleasure writing brings you, it’s also hard work.

- Create your own writing space. Even if it’s just a tiny desk in the smallest corner of your home, make it your own. Get rid of anything that might distract you, and keep near you the things that inspire you: books, candles, artwork.

 What’s probably most inspiring about Gilmore’s story is that of all the excuses I’ve heard (and come up with myself) for procrastinating a writing project, “going to prison” has got to be one of the best. But for Gilmore, it’s not an excuse but an invitation.

Consider yourself invited — to your own writing space, starting today.

Midge Raymond’s short story, “The Ecstatic Cry,” was selected as a runner-up for the 2005 Cooper Fiction Prize and is forthcoming in Ontario Review. The story, about a researcher in Antarctica, will appear in the Spring 2006 issue, coming soon.

Midge Raymond’s short story “First Sunday” won Indiana Review’s 2004 Fiction Prize and will appear in the Winter 2005/2006  issue of Indiana Review, coming soon.