--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Evan Connell said once that he knew he…" description: "\"“Evan Connell said once that he knew he was finished with a short story when he found himself going through it and taking out commas and then going thr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/raymond-carver-2821_90_evan-connell-said-once-that-he-knew-he-w_2348657.png" --- # Evan Connell said once that he knew he was finished with a… ![“Evan Connell said once that he knew he was finished with a short story when he found himself going through it and taking out commas and then going through the story again and putting the commas back in the same places. I like that way of working on something. I respect that kind of care for what…” quote by Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/raymond-carver-2821_90_evan-connell-said-once-that-he-knew-he-w_2348657.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/raymond-carver-2821_90_evan-connell-said-once-that-he-knew-he-w_2348657.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/002/raymond-carver-2821_90_evan-connell-said-once-that-he-knew-he-w_2348657.png) > ““Evan Connell said once that he knew he was finished with a short story when he found himself going through it and taking out commas and then going through the story again and putting the commas back in the same places. I like that way of working on something. I respect that kind of care for what is being done. That's all we have, finally, the words, and they had better be the right ones, with the punctuation in the right places so that they an best say what they are meant to say. If the words are heavy with the writer's own unbridled emotions, or if they are imprecise and inaccurate for some other reason -- if the worlds are in any way blurred -- the reader's eyes will slide right over them and nothing will be achieved. Henry James called this sort of hapless writing 'weak specification'.”” [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Meticulous editing, especially punctuation, ensures clarity and emotional precision; sloppy writing blurs meaning and disengages readers. **In simple terms:** Careful editing makes writing clear and powerful. Key Takeaway Prioritize precise language and punctuation. Themes writing editing clarity Mood thoughtful analytical Type instructional reflective When to use this quote - novel drafting - academic papers - blog posts - creative workshops Key Concepts punctuation precision authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - How does punctuation affect tone? - When is it okay to leave imperfections? A Different Perspective Over‑editing can stifle creativity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advice/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/words/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“That's all we have, finally, the words, and they had better be the right ones, with the punctuation in the right places...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/that-s-all-we-have-finally-the-words-and-they-had-better-be-the-right-2/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [“If you want to strike, strike now. 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