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Mark David Gerson
a book bubble about
The Heartful Art of Revision
Self-Help
Author Insight
The "Missing Piece"
When a participant at one of my revision workshop (this was before I wrote “The Heartful Art of Revision") identified herself as a technical editor with more than thirty years’ experience, I wondered silently why she was there. What use, I wondered, would a technical editor have with concepts like vision and vision statements? I watched her closely her through the workshop, half expecting her to challenge me and dismiss my approach…maybe even to walk out. Instead, she acknowledged each of my major points by nodding in agreement, and when, toward the end of the workshop, she crafted her first-ever vision statement, she exclaimed, “This is the missing piece!”
Book Excerpt
The Heartful Art of Revision
Be True to Your Vision
As you reread your work through as many drafts as your project demands, watch for words, phrases, sentences, scenes or chapters that detract from the essence of your story, that dilute your theme, that weaken your vision. Are there characters who get in the way of that vision? Are there lines of dialogue that conflict with that vision? Are there anecdotes, illustrations or examples that diverge from that vision? Either remove them (see Tip #14 in “My Top Twenty Revision Tips,” Section 6) or rework them in a way that illuminates your vision instead of clouding it.
Now is a good time to revisit the vision statement you created in Section 4 or to craft one if you haven’t yet done so. Your vision statement will always help you to stay aligned with the true heart of your work, not only in your first draft but all the way to your final draft and beyond.
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