Marion Dane Bauer

Must surely be a brilliant woman.
So much of what she writes about writing makes perfect sense.

And her books. Well, I try not to have Writer Envy. But those books. I once knew a student who read ON MY HONOR at least ten times, and that was before Thanksgiving break.

Her website is here:  http://www.mariondanebauer.com

But what really spoke to me this morning was her BLOGPOST about Revision.

I'll give you a taste of what she says. But really, you must click over there and read it if you're anywhere near this stage in your writing. And don't miss the comments.

The secret of revision for me is to love doing it. The secret is never to look at what I’ve already written and say to myself, “Ugh! That doesn’t work. And now I’m going to have to do it again.” Rather, I begin by looking at what I have before me and loving it. Not loving it in a way that makes it sacred, something too wonderful to be touched. But loving it in a way that says, 'Oh, I like this and this and this about what I have here. Now let me see what I can do to make it even better.'"

And for clarification, there's a difference between revising and polishing. We all love that polishing stage, don't we. And some of us love the true revising part also. 
(It's the coming up with that first draft that kills me- what about you?)

Here's her gem about polishing vs. revision:

I’m talking about revising, not polishing. Most people polish. That’s when you lovingly caress what’s already there, trimming, refining. That’s a process I engage in every step of the way and devote myself to especially ardently before I send a manuscript off, and that’s the most fun of all.

Revision means exactly what the word says, re-vision, finding a new vision. It means looking at what I have in front of me and asking what more I can bring to it that goes beyond my first conception, asking what else is inside me that hasn’t yet made its way to the page.


And here's the quote that begins her post. I've been smiling all morning over this:

“Getting the first draft finished is like pushing a very dirty peanut across the floor with your nose.”                    —Joyce Carol Oates



You may also be interested in this post and link to VOICE, an interview with Bauer.

The Voice

On the question of voice in writing, I've heard lots of advice:
"Channel your character." "Write a letter in the character's voice." "Read it aloud till it sounds right."
Lots of workshops, many articles, entire books devoted to that mysterious concept of Voice. But what, really, is voice in a novel or a picture book?

Honestly, I haven't really tried to figure it out, and maybe that's because I hear my characters speaking to me, and I'm afraid if I think too hard on it, they might disappear. Many sound distinctively southern, but they all sound as if they are talking. Does that make sense?

I know voice is more than that. And here is a really good explanation by a writer who knows what she's talking about. Still, I'm glad to read that it does little good to think about it while you are writing. Good to know.

Read Marion Dane Bauer's interview on Through the Tollbooth:

I don’t think we are born with our voice. It does come ...through reading and the practice of writing. I do think, however, that our voice rises up out of who we are and that it does little good to think about voice when you are writing.
Concentrate on knowing your character. Your perceiving character will impact your voice in every story even when you are writing in third person. And concentrate on writing the very best you can. Voice will simply be part of the package. You will know you have fallen into the voice that is right for you when you can feel the energy behind the words.