It's crazy to add up all the hours that go into my short story revisions. And every time I go back to a story, I always see changes to make even if after every round of revision I think I'm actually done. It's never done, or so it seems. Time away from a piece can bring flaws to the surface that were once glossed over. Feedback from other writers can give direction. But to actually get something good enough to sell to a publication seems to take me months if not years. I juggle writing projects and have a few short stories at different levels of completion. And I do finish stories and submit. But I've found no way around to long and tiresome revision process. Whether it needs a complete rewrite, restructuring or fleshing things out more, there's always more work, no? And it's exhausting. I put everything I have into each story and often reach the point where I wonder if I've used up all my creativity and smarts. Each time I finish a story and all it's revisions I get this feeling like I'll never be able to do it again. It's crazy just how much you can do with twenty pages if you really work those twenty pages. So, how much love to you give your twenty-page stories? What does it take for you to feel happy with a short story and feel actually done? I know I can stop revising at anytime, but, for me, the story just isn't going to ever be right unless I truly give it everything I have and however long it takes. Dedication? Insanity? I've been a prolific short story writer for years. It seems like the better I get, the longer it takes. All this to keep my steady flow of rejections coming in... How are you other short story writers doing with your revision process?
I like to write and revise for a week or two, and do two rounds of beta reading over a month. Later, I might go back with more actual skill and revise something because I’m still a novice, and I’m still learning. I don’t have an eye for the craft past a certain point.
I usually can get a story down in a week or two and I revise it during that time too. And sometimes I feel like it works. But I have a lot of stories that didn't work in my roster as well. When I think about an old story that didn't quite work I can start to figure things out after some time has passed. Then I'll pull it up or just rewrite it from scratch after. And that can be followed by obsessive drafts and rounds of revision. Beta readers can really help. I think it's kind of important to know where the advice and feedback is coming from. I've got a small group on here I am truly grateful for. But I often end up feeling like I've shown something too early. I don't know, though. Things are pointed out or brought up that I hadn't thought about. Those who have read work for me have been a tremendous help. I guess we know we're not all sending each other finished products. I guess some stories are harder than others. Oh, the process...
I don' like to revise, therefore I try not to do it. Unless you call editing as you go revision. Unless you call rewriting revision. Neither of which I do. Semantics I guess.
For me I set a story down when it says what I want it to say, as imperfect as that might be. As a beginning writer there will always expect there to be be major flaws to my story. But for that very same reason my story will never be perfect. NO matter how hard I try. I had to apply bandade fixes to my stories and I am currently doing a complete rewrite of one of them. So i feel as though I have said what I wanted say with the piece that I set it down and pick up my next imperfect piece. Also keep in im not trying to get published.
