Summer Writing Workshop (3): Good Writing Is REwriting
Catherine A. Rogers
Full Professor of Law Università Bocconi |International Arbitration, Professional Ethics
The phrase "Good writing is rewriting" is so ubiquitous that it is attributed to literally dozens of authors, from Ernest Hemmingway to E.B. White (whose famous work--Elements of Style --we will come back to tomorrow).
One of my favorite versions of this phrase, even if it is perhaps a bit dated, comes from Vladimir Nabokov:
|"I have rewritten — often several times — every word I have ever published. My pencils outlast their erasers."
Think about that. Nabokov is a brilliant writer. But every word has been rewritten, often several times. Rewriting is why Nabokov's prose is so brilliant.
Let's take an example closer to home. At least a dozen times, I have given the same lecture about writing that inspired this Workshop. But I still rewrite and rewrite each post. Even after I have posted, I end up going back to re-edit each post, sometimes multiple times. Rewriting is a compulsion that is bigger than me. But it is also a compulsion that has served me well.
The post yesterday ended with the suggestion that you give yourself permission to have a CFD, a Crummy First Draft. Committing to a CFD can help you overcome that daunting feeling you get staring at a blank screen (or a blank page if you still write in long-hand).
A CFD is also an implied recognition that, to produce a good final work, you will be rewriting and rewriting. And then editing, and then rewriting some more.
A first full draft is to a writer what raw clay is to a sculptor. You can't start without it, but a lot of work is needed to shape and polish before it is finished.
If you are persuaded now in principle about the importance of rewriting, what does that mean in practice? Here are a few takeaways.
?Start with a Crummy First Draft. Ok, this is a repeat from yesterday. But it is a hard one to commit to, so worth the double-billing.
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It can be difficult to avoid being too precious or too proud to pump out a rough and dirty first draft. You don't have to show it to anyone, but you can't rewrite until you have written a first draft.
?Leave enough time for multiple rounds of edits. In one of the final posts in this Workshop, we will address how to become your own best editor. For now, just realize that you will edit and work that assumption into your time-management plan. If you wait for last-minute panic to inspire your first draft, you will inevitably end up with a poor final draft.
?Learn from your rewriting. When you rewrite a word, a phrase, a paragraph, or a section, ask yourself why it needed rewriting. Was it imprecise? Too wordy? Unclear? Illogical? Or perhaps just garbled in your CFD?
Take on board whatever reason inspired the rewrite and use it to improve your writing abilities. Individual writing projects are a loop of writing and rewriting. But your development as a writer is also a loop of getting it wrong and learning to write better the next time.
Tune in tomorrow when we start the first of our topics on elements of style. I have to admit those are my favorite topics! I suspect other writers will have much to contribute on those topics as well.
PS. I have now edited this post 3 times AFTER I first posted it.
Arbitrator of International Repute (in view)|| LLB(Hons)|| R.E.A.L NextGen Committee Member
2 年Thank you for these beautiful tips you share via your workshop newsletter, Ms. Catherine Rogers, I have found them as nothing but helpful and encouraging as a Student. I especially love the phrase you constantly use, "Good Writing is REwriting". I look forward to more!
Lecturer | Mediator | Lawyer
2 年Another great post, Catherine. I particularly like the advice on leaving enough time for multiple rounds of edits. A good tip I received from a colleague when I was in legal practice was to do separate reviews for different types of errors and inadequacies, for example, one review to catch typos and grammatical mistakes and then another review to improve the analysis and argument. I’ve found that I spot more of my errors with this approach than when I try to polish everything in one go.
Partner at Aurelius Cotta
2 年Saepe stilum vertas. And Horace probably also was not the first who said it. If you look at the (very few) surviving letters by Caesar and compare them to his two surviving literary works, it strikes you how much work went into the belli. The result is concise, clear and plain. Avoiding complicated words as much as possible. Like a good submission