Sometimes, I think revising is like grabbing a snake by the head and working your way down to the tail all the while hoping to hold the snake in place. Only, while it is lashing furiously, you’re also trying to make changes to the tail because of what you find at the head. OK, maybe not…
Sometimes, I think revising is like sorting a bunch of rocks. Most of them are good rocks, only they’re out of order. Because you need the big rocks on bottom, for stability. Except when you want to sneak that little rock in because it’s a clue. OK, maybe not…
Sometimes, I think revising is like brushing out knotty hair after a restless, fevered night of sleep. There are tangled parts you really have to work at, with care, because you don’t want to rip or tear. And there’s the natural curl that you want to preserve. Only sometimes you have to cut whole bits out. OK, maybe not…
Um, this is why you haven’t heard from me in a week. See you on the other side! (And if you have a favorite manuscript revising metaphor or story, please share.)
Sometimes, I think revising is like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. The pieces are all there, but they do not yet fit perfectly. I have to move them around, maybe even rasp away a bit at an uneven edge to make everything fit perfectly.
and sometimes you just have an extra piece that you have to throw away … or put in a drawer and hope you can use it later.