Hold Your Darlings
The author of Took House explores a kinder approach to revision, in which language cut during one editorial process may be saved as material for a new writing project.
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From the Magazine
Revise Like a Painter
The author of [WHITE] considers how writers might take inspiration from visual artists in their approach to revision, pushing beyond surface editing to “see” their work afresh.
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Ten Questions for Lydia Conklin
“I have to lock up my phone every day—in a box designed for locking up cookies—during the hours I’m writing. Text messages ruin me.” —Lydia Conklin, author of Rainbow Rainbow
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Ten Questions for Vanessa Hua
“If I had known about the twists and turns beforehand, I like to think I would have kept going, but maybe it’s better not to know.” —Vanessa Hua, author of Forbidden City
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Ten Questions for Soon Wiley
“Adjust one small plot point in the second half of the book, and you realize you’ve got to go back to the beginning and account for that change.” —Soon Wiley, author of When We Fell Apart
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I Could Not Give Up on My Characters
The author of Country of Origin looks back on the fifteen years she spent working on her debut novel.
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The Art of Revision: Black Box
An excerpt from The Art of Revision: The Last Word by Peter Ho Davies, published in November 2021 by Graywolf Press.
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Craft Capsule: The Multi-Genre Mindset
The author of Southbound and The Parted Earth shares her approach to balancing projects in multiple genres.
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Craft Capsule: The Arc of Understanding
The author of Anodyne shares her methodology for determining the order of poems in a collection.
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Craft Capsule: The Cinema Factory
The author of Horsepower recalls the tricks that helped her revise and assemble her collection.
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