(And/Or Revising a Manuscript)

1) Begin at the right time.

If you wait too long, the whole thing gets deeply rooted, and it's hard to dig anything up (or get rid of what you should.) On the other hand if you weed (or revise) too soon, it's almost impossible to see what really needs to stay and what needs to go. It's easy to mix up the weeds and the flowers in the early stages of growth. (I recommend one complete draft, or fully formed plants before starting.)

2) Look at the Big Things First.

In gardening, I go for the huge clumps of overgrown crab grass that go back to one root, and those mutant dandelions that look like small trees. Once I pull a few of those out, it's amazing how much better I feel, and how I can see openings to get at those smaller but trickier intertwined weeds.

By the same token, in revising, I look at the big things first. Do I have a beginning, middle, and ending? Is my plot solid? How about my characters? Are they likeable and believable? Once I've taken care of these, then I can clear the path to get at the small tangled metaphors, unclear transitions, and redundant phrases.

3) Take a close look at everything you pull out before composting it.

Sometimes in my eagerness to get rid of the weeds, I root up bulbs and other lovely things. If I check before discarding, I can always replant something I've accidentally uprooted. Same thing goes for that first draft. Hang on to a copy of it until you're really finished.

4) Don't try to do too much at a time without taking a break.

An hour or two is about the right amount of time for me, when I'm really doing intensive weeding (or revising.) More than that, and I start to get careless. I let things go, both difficult weeds, and confusing paragraphs.

5) Keep in mind a vision of the finished product.

I have on my refrigerator, a picture of some lovely plantings, arranged just so. The colors and shapes remind me of what I'd like to achieve in my garden. I have on my computer, a single sentence summing up the main point of my current story or article. It reminds me of my overall goal for this piece.

A lovely garden, or a well-crafted story -- both are possible to achieve with a plan and some diligent hard work.

 

 

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