Morning Invitation

Natalie’s Prompt: What do I expect to glean from The Art of Revision?
[Natalie, I love that you used the word “glean”! It’s one of my recent favorites!]
I started reading Wendy Bishop’s book last night; here are some highlights:

☼ Bishop begins by asking what type of reviser are you? Good question. Since I only finished chapter two, I’m still learning the three types, so I have to wait to classify myself. However, there are several passages I plan on sharing with my creative writing classes next year. I might even copy chapters from the book itself!
☼ Dethier discusses “meaningful changes” – adding, deleting, substituting, rethinking. I have a variation of this (add, cut, reorganize), however, I plan on spending more time discussing revision – true revision.
☼ Dethier moves onto explore why novice writers have a “resistance to revision” and offers a rebuttal to the resistance. He writes this as a top eight list. I think students could certainly compile this list as a class or individually.
☼ “To become true believers – and practitioners—of revision, most writers need to witness the power and value of revision…” ( 3).
☼ Book suggestion: Barry Wallenstein and Robert Burr Vision & Revision: The Poet’s Process
☼ As I was reading, I thought of something else I think I know: students need to have experienced something –sports, rodeo, music, cooking – where they have repeatedly practiced that something to get it right to understand the importance of revision. And, as a teacher, I need to help students make the connection between that something and writing! I see a lesson plan and demo in the works…