Sunday, March 6, 2016

My Revision Process


Thoughts on Revision:

Keep the buttons, save
strong stitches,
remove the lint
caught
between phrases
where story importance resides;

catch darlings,
those phrases, sentences,
lines loved "too much"
considered clever,
special and likely not
an enhancement;

weave through, locate
'ing' words, weak cheaters
they steal emotion's thunder,
deny readers access to subtext
or intricate details present
for close inspection like lace on a bodice;

ignore not those adverbs sprinkled
like fancy seasonings, a few perhaps nice
while abundance hides true flavor;

now review this "new" story, perhaps
recognize with delight the light
wakened from below the surface.

The story is ready for final edits.

by judy Beaston
March 6, 2016