Books Quote by Bernard Malamud

Somewhere I put it this way: first drafts are for learning what one’s fiction wants him to say. Revision works with that knowledge to…

— Bernard Malamud

First drafts are for learning what your novel or story is about. Revision is working with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea,…

— Bernard Malamud

“A really well-done first draft of a book bares your soul. The purpose of revision is so that everyone who reads the published version…

— James A. Owen

Writing a first draft is like groping one's way into a dark room, or overhearing a faint conversation, or telling a joke whose punchline…

— Ted Solotaroff

But revision is a creative act, not merely an analytical imposition of rules of style on a more creative first draft. That's a myth…

— K. M. Soehnlein

I write first drafts by hand, often out of the house somewhere, and then, when I've got a draft, type it up and let…

— David Means

I'm a passionate believer in revision, and a lot of my writing gets done during revision process. It isn't just tweaking: I tend to…

— John Jeremiah Sullivan

My first drafts are always terrible, and I hate them, but the process for me is all about writing the bad version until it…

— Jesse Andrews

Revision is not the end of the creative process, but a new beginning. It's a chance not just to clean up and edit, but…

— John Dufresne

I think a lot of the dull parts of first drafts come from a kind of over-managing, intrusive writer who wants to direct traffic.…

— Meg Wolitzer

Writing the first draft of a new story is incredibly difficult for me. I will happily do revisions, because once I can see the…

— Marie Lu

First drafts are for learning what your story is about.

— Bernard Malamud