The Craft of Revision (American Public University System) by Donald M. Murray (2006-01-01) Paperback

by Donald M. Murray

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Donald M. Murray takes a lively and inspiring approach to writing and revision that does not condescend but invites students into the writer's studio.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Education, Teaching, Reference

Unknown Binding

First published December 1, 1990

About the author

Donald Morison Murray

Reviews

[Jay Rothermel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outstanding introduction (and refresher) for writers at any level. Many great concrete examples with real-life drafts and their revisions. Great interviews with writers of all ages about their experiences.

Calming if you are prone to the yips.

[Jean Carlton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got a lot out of this book. Primarily geared toward students, the basics apply to all types of writing and are comprehensive and well written. He points out the difference between revision and editing. Less attention specifically to fiction in general and short stories (my main interests) but interviews, sample writing with revisions and helpful tips on all aspects of the craft are abundant. I especially relate to the quote by Roger LePage, "Revision is a game the writer plays for life." And Paul Velry quote "A poem is never finished, only abandoned." The importance of writing to deadline is that you must say, 'this is done.' Send it off and move on. I recommend it for anyone working on the many varied styles of expressing yourself through the written word.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally purchased for a paper in my communications degree this book will become one of my favourite reference books. Easy and entertaining this book contains useful and relevant information in a way that inspires and encourages you to write, while being down to earth and realistic about the difficulties writing and re-writing poses.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It had everything you need to improve your writing--checklists, examples, and questions to ask yourself while writing and editing. I love that the author also included examples of when his editor asked him to revise a story and how he changed it and why he made changes. I also found the questions to ask yourself while editing helpful.

[Alicia Zuto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved this guy. He taught me so much in regards to writing, and he has such a specific style that I could recognize him without even knowing he’s the author. Such a sweet guy, and he is greatly missed in the literary world. He really enjoyed his readers and it was a parent, but he held each of us close

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my test review.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of this book is misleading.

[Mariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down, the most helpful book a writer can have around.
A small gem that I'm sure to go back to again and again as long as I enjoy the craft of writing.

[Jazmine the illustrator]

It’s a book

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m torn how I feel about this book. It seems to have been written mostly for revising academic and professional writer, while I was reading it in hopes of some insights on how to edit novels. Not that I can’t use the tools in this book for revising novels, but I feel like the advice given was too much in the abstract. Maybe that’s not the right way to phrase it. Maybe it’s more of it just didn’t click for me. I understood it all, but I felt like most of the advice was aimed at shorter works.

Also, the first chapter is all about how to write… Which, I did like that Murray validates discovery writing, and I wish some of my public school teachers could read that section and see that everybody doesn’t outline, but… it felt really out of place for a book on revision. There are one hundred and one books on how to write, and I don’t need a book I’m reading to learn about revision to teach me how to write. It was just unnecessary.

I have one other complaint, and that is in Chapter 5, in the section titled ‘The Importance of Information.’ The author refers to something called “word drunk”. Murray makes it sound like that is the official title and it is what everybody calls it, but it sounds more to me like purple prose. I hear “purple prose” all of the time, and never “word drunk”. That’s just a small nitpick, but it bothered me.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, and I think it does teach some great things about revision, but it just wasn’t the type of revision I was looking for.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may have enjoyed this more if the forward hadn't set it up as THE BEST BOOK ON WRITING EVER WRITTEN (and, in Murray's defense, he didn't write the forward). In any case, I did appreciate Murray's tone throughout, which would probably do a lot to persuade people who don't believe that good writing is about revision why they are wrong. I also appreciated how he attempted to tackle various aspects of what you might be revising for: tone, evidence, organization, etc. However, I felt that more examples of how such revisions might manifest themselves (particularly in academic writing) would be helpful. Murray's own experience as a journalist certainly colored most of the examples he used, making some of what he suggested hard to extrapolate to an academic setting. Long story short, his message was appreciated, but the use value of much of his advice is questionable. (Addendum on second read: I liked this better when reading with the orientation of how his advice could be used in the context of a class. My reservations about the lessons' applicability to academic writing still hold, but not all writing that happens in the academy must be academic. With that eye, I think that much of what he offers by way of example is very useful, at least to an undergraduate classroom of writers.)

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading a lot of textbooks lately. This one is by the great composition teacher, Donald M. Murray, who believed that writing is learning, writing is knowing. He has an authentic voice himself, which makes the book a good read. Like many textbooks, I often skimmed where the material was expected and prosaic. But as all good textbooks, it had lots of headings and titles that made skimming profitable and useful. I can see this book being used in a first-year composition course or an advanced composition course. It focuses on revision which is something that all writers, student or not, need help with. I realize that I don't know much about revision when it comes right down to it. I wrote my first novel, Minority Schizophrenic, without much revision.
Murray introduces a great concept in his first chapter called rewriting before writing. This is the idea that we are constantly thinking about our writing and writing in our heads even before we have a draft. Some might call this prewriting, and I don't see a difference between the two.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic for writers and writing teachers. Donald Murray's work may seem somewhat trite now, as many of his main ideas have been incorporated into standard teaching practice. But, in reading the original one finds that, unsurprisingly, much of Murray's more revolutionary ideas have also been "tamed" and watered down to the point that they are really sort of nonsense as presented by current pedagogy experts. The source, on the other hand, Murray's actual writing, is still fresh and refreshing, a source of inspiration to teachers and students who feel that writing is something more than rearranging information, that it is truly a creative process.

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this is one of the greatest books out there for helping people through the process of creative and meaningful thought. I have read this multiple times, recommended it to friends and always keep it handy as a resource. This book can easily be integrated as early as the high school years. It doesn't just consider rewriting, but rather considers openness of thought, the release of restrictions and the ability to follow wherever our expressions take us. In my opinion this book is a foundational text for developing the ability to generate, organize and express cogent thought through words.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were some really good things that came from this book, but most of what I read was stuff that I already knew. It just reinforced even further all of the things I teach to my students. What I did like about this book, despite already knowing most of what Murray was saying, was that there were lots of great excerpts I could read and share with my students to help reinforce in necessity of revision.

[Amber Ziegler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book from one of my favorite names in the teaching of composition. It's fairly short, to-the-point, and easy as well as enjoyable to read. It would make an excellent textbook for a writing course, but I would recommend this book to anyone who have ever written, or plans on writing, anything.

[Therese L. Broderick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional, for sure. Essential, I dare say. This book has profoundly improved my technique of writing poems -- revision being 99% of writing -- even though poetry is only one of many forms treated in these chapters. My highest praise: Mr. Murray practices what he preaches, walks the talk, proves true with his pudding.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about learning how to write. Of course, it can't teach inspiration, but it does teach many, many useful techniques to help writers, whatever they're writing, actually write. And to make that writing the best they can. There's a reason I've kept my copy for 15 years.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murray is the Bob Ross of writing. He makes everything so relaxed and easy to understand and he just wants you to enjoy writing. I wish I read this in my freshman writing class because it has changed my attitude toward writing and revising completely. Murray, you're fabulous. Thank you.

[Kristi Siegel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Practical, but self-evident. A comp teacher should already know these things.

[Linda Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don Murray does what he does - offers real advice from a real writer about revising (not editing) writing.

[Writer Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is really good. Most if not all my revision questions were answered though this.

[Yolande · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's not much out there on how to revise your work, but this is great to get you started!