Foreword by Brenda Miller

Introduction

Revising Our Ideas about Revision
Starting Rough
The Long Lovely Journey
So What?
Becoming an Author
Deep Listening
Seeing with Others' Eyes

Early Revisions and the Big Changes
Reframing
Practicing Presence
Strengthening Movement
Finding Form

Late Revisions and Completion
Adding by Subtraction
Language
The Word, the Self, and the World

Selected Bibliography

Writing is revision, the professionals claim; writing is the gut-wrenching, revelatory, dogged work of developing a story.

Yes, writing is revision. But I’m here to say that revision is not just for the professionals or those wanting an audience. At its most basic, revision is seeing anew. Revision is the complicated, profound work of creation—an act that simultaneously creates within and through the creator. Revision changes the writer, deepens the writer’s work, and infuses that work with the potential to move readers. Revision addresses our innermost longings. At its core, revision is the spiritual practice of transformation—of seeing text, and therefore the world, with new eyes. Done well, revision returns us to our original love.

In Living Revision, award-winning author and beloved teacher Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew demystifies the writing and revision process. I love this book. It’s full of inspiration but also practical tips and exercises to guide any writer into deep revision. With this book as their roadmap, countless writers will learn to open their hearts and transform their writing and, in the process, themselves through revision. It is a must-read for any writer serious about her craft. I know I will turn to it again and again.
—Kate Hopper, editor, teacher, and author of Ready for Air and Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mothers

How does a writer use the fertile space between drafts to engage mystery, shape a manuscript, and produce a strong revision? Revision is born of questions, not corrections, says Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew, and her excellent book shows us how to ask good ones.
—Mary Carroll Moore, author of Qualities of Light and Your Book Starts Here

As I read Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew’s Living Revision, I found myself breathing a sigh of relief. Here, finally, someone has articulated both the struggles and joy of revision, in a way that makes me eager to dive back into the projects that have stymied me. In addition to using examples and wise advice from other writers, Andrew gives us practical exercises that enable us to truly invigorate our work and revive its elusive heartbeat.
—Brenda Miller, author of Tell It Slant: Creating, Refining, and Publishing Creative Nonfiction and The Pen and the Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World

Good writing comes from rewriting. Unfortunately, many beginning and intermediate writers lack the skills and inclination to go beyond mere copyediting and proofreading to explore the full creative potential deep revision can offer. Even experienced writers want to shy away from the love-hate relationship we have with the effort, agony and commitment revision requires. Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew’s honest revelations of her students’ and her own struggles and successes offer solace. Her straight-forward discussions of the theory and application of revision will inspire and motivate emerging and experienced writers alike. Living Revision’s practical techniques and pragmatic tools are a valuable addition to every writer’s skill set. Don’t just buy this book to adorn your bookshelf—keep it on your desk and use it!
—Rosanne Bane, creativity coach and author of Around the Writer’s Block: Using Brain Science to Solve Writer’s Resistance