Revision Process

[Lizzie]

I write for myself, because it's something I enjoy doing. I like writing things I like, which is why I post here, because I think posting here helps me improve. I want to make something I like - I won't make an edit I disagree with just because a bunch of people suggest something.

Yes, this is my constant struggle. I want to like my work when it's done and feel like it reflects my original vision, so it's hard sometimes to make a change even though everyone else is saying do it. I usually do make the change because I'm new and I don't trust that I make good choices. It's a hard process with a lot of different variables.

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Coming to this discussion late, sorry if it's sort of over. But adding two cents just because.    

I have a theory that the amount of crit a poem receives has nothing to do with how long you wait to revise.  Some poems undergo many and immediate revisions and still get lots of comments, other poems are abandoned on the doorstep and left for us to rail against to no purpose, for the writer has disappeared like a ninja never to be seen again, and still that poem too will rake in the comments while a neighbor poem only gets one or two.  

I think the poems that are easy to crit get more crit, it's a simple as that.  And I don't mean by easy that the poem itself is simple, nor that it has lots of problems.  It seems more that the "popular" ones walk a very wobbly line of good enough that they are generally liked, but not intimidatingly complex where half of us don't understand what we're reading but won't admit it, and in addition, has one or two obvious nits for the reader to pick, but not so many problems that it would take too much time and effort to suggest it all.  

If a poem is relatively flawless, it's hard to make a comment, for in the workshops you can't really just say, "this is awesome, don't change it." (When I feel that way, sometimes I pm the author because I don't want them to think the lack of crit means it's not worth looking at.)  Also, if it's just, well, riddled with problems, then that too is hard to crit for it would take so much of your own time just to help make it merely less bad. (Not saying I've seen any particular work that fits this, just making a hypothetical point).  Also, if it's a good poem, but, let's face it, over our heads, (for some here are beginners and some are experts) well the beginners are going to read it like a million times to soak it up and appreciate it, but when you barely grasp layer number one, and you see someone else commenting on layers two and three, it just doesn't seem wise to offer suggestions.  So, that poem too, though excellent, won't gather as many comments.  Therefore, the number of comments and suggestions should not be how you gauge whether your poem is good or bad or worthy, or that you just waited too long or didn't wait long enough.  Really terrible poems and perfect/excellent poems alike could receive equal numbers of comments.  

Now with that said, I do like to read a poem many times before offering a comment, and if the poet makes a revision the next day, I have to start over, or feel the suggestions I was working on are now moot and wont' leave the comment I was working up to.  So maybe wait a short time before revising to allow the people who like to chew on it a little longer time to respond.    

Anyway, that was probably too much rambling to follow, sorry, sometimes the chatter escapes before I can put it back on the leash. *sigh*

So well said. So well. Thank you for this insight, it makes a lot of sense. And, I see what you're talking about waiting a little bit to make revisions, that is a very valid idea. Will do. Thanks for commenting!!!