On writing -

Ernest Hemingway told George Plimpton of the Paris Review that he wrote the last page of Farewell to Arms thirty-nine times before he:

''got the words right'.

Source: Ernest Hemingway, ''The Art of Fiction No. 21,'' Paris Review

On the value of deleting

Sometimes when my students are writing something on a Google docs or an online whiteboard it automatically deletes or doesn't save for some reason and they're back to square one. They might stress and grumble that they have to now 'start again' and 'their effort has been wasted'. Which is sometimes true and often annoying but it also can be viewed through another angle.

That is, being able to delete and subtract  is a key part of writing- it's quite rare the first thing you write will be clear enough by itself. Balance in sentences and clarity in vocabulary particular seem rarer to come on the first draft in my experience. The process of deleting, when done thoughtfully, can help you to consider the thing you unavoidably want to say.

Sometimes it's sad or hard to remove part of the text, and you might need someone with less emotional attachment to the effort and time given to help you make the call. A good editor can help you from getting caught in the 'sunk cost fallacy'- the human tendency to follow through on something we've already invested effort and time into even when letting go of a section is what an argument may need to be clearer.

Something to practice

When you finish writing a piece, try going back and deleting the last sentence. Sometimes last sentences can be less conclusive and useful than the second last sentence and it's what the conclusion needs to strengthen it. Let me know how it goes.

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