Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in all writing, and among the best writers.
Interpretation
Revising your work is a normal part of writing and not a reflection of failure.
This quote emphasizes that needing to make significant changes to a manuscript is a common experience for writers, even the most successful ones. It serves to remind writers that editing is an essential part of the creative process and should not be seen as a failure or weakness, but rather as a step toward improvement and refinement of their work.
In practice
During a writing workshop, to encourage participants to embrace editing.
The surest way to arouse and hold the attention of the reader is by being specific, definitive, and concrete. The greatest writers - Homer, Dante, Shakespeare - are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report the details that matter. Their words call up pictures.
Instead of announcing what you are about to tell is interesting, make it so.
The approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity.
Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, non-committal language.
Avoid fancy words....If you admire fancy words, if every sky is beauteous, every blonde curvaceous, every intelligent child prodigious, if you are tickled by discombobulate, you will have bad time Reminder 14.
Rather, very, little, pretty - these are the leeches that infest the pond of prose, sucking the blood of words. The constant use of the adjective little (except to indicate size) is particularly debilitating; we should all try to do a little better, we should all be very watchful of this rule, for it is a rather important one, and we are pretty sure to violate it now and then.
I would also suggest that any aspiring writer begin with short stories. These days, I meet far too many young writers who try to start off with a novel right off, or a trilogy, or even a nine-book series. That's like starting in at rock climbing by tackling Mt. Everest. Short stories help you learn your craft.
For my part, it was Greek to me.
Over 20 million children of conflict are out of school. Education is often forgotten.
We don't care really about children as a society and television reflects that indifference to children as human beings.
Merely gathering knowledge may become the most useless work a man can do. What can you do to help and heal the world? That is the educational test.
In days of doubt, in days of dreary musings on my country's fate, you alone are my comfort and support, oh great, powerful, righteous, and free Russian language!
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