Revising Fiction: A Handbook for Writers

by David Madden

If you are serious about writing literary fiction, then this is a book you must read. It essentially helps you troubleshoot your writing--from concept, to structure, to execution. It uses many examples from famous authors and show the drafts they wrote before revision. This is the only book I've seen where the author is able to do such numerous and direct comparisons between drafts so the reader can see exactly what was changed and why. The book also asks you to consider many aspects of your writing that other books on writing and editing fiction don't even touch upon. I would not recommend this book if you haven't already done a lot of serious fiction writing, because unless you have, you probably won't understand the significance of some of the issues raised in the book.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Crafts, Reference, Adult

315 pages, Paperback

First published June 24, 1988

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This obscure gem really opened up my eyes. Madden examines early and later drafts of fiction classic works. He shows how these great authors wrote and rewrote their classic books many times. He presents a good thorough list of questions to ask yourself as you revise your own fiction. He discusses point of view, style, character development, narrative, dialog, description and devices. I don't really understand why this book isn't better known. It deserves to be on the shelf of every writer.

[Newton Nitro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revising Fiction: A Handbook for Writers – David Madden | 185 dicas práticas para Revisar uma História! | NITROLEITURAS #resenha
Fiquei cozinhando a leitura desse livro por muito tempo, e depois da maratona das leituras da fantástica Letícia Wierzchowski, encarei de vez o Revising Fiction, do David Madden, que é simplismente o MELHOR LIVRO DE REVISÃO DE FICÇÃO que já li na vida!

Revising Fiction: A Handbook for Writers – David Madden | 336 páginas, Plume, 1988 | Lido de 03.11.16 à 6.11.16
91yy0zm072l

SINOPSE

Revising Fiction fornece 185 sugestões práticas de como você pode melhorar o seu livro. Em suas páginas você irá encontrar

As quatro etapas da escrita
O “antes” e o “depois” da ficção de Virginia Woolf, de F. Scott Fitzgerald, de William Faulkner, de Eudora Welty, e de muitos outros mestres da literatura.
Exemplos específicos e sugestões para cada aspecto da escrita
As questões técnicas que cada escritor deve perguntar quando ele ou ela revisa e reescreve seu próprio texto.
Uma lista de verificação abrangente dos problemas narrativos e como lidar com eles.
Um conto completo que demonstra mais de trinta técnicas importantes para a revisão e que estão disponíveis para qualquer escritor
RESENHA

Um dos melhores guias de sugestões e orientações para escritores que já encontrei. O “Revising Fiction” é um livro mais avançado do que os que normalmente encontro disponíveis, pega mais fundo nas questões técnicas da narrativa, e usa como exemplo, só peso-pesado da literatura americana e inglesa.

É um livro que mudou totalmente a minha visão da reescrita. Eu já havia notado na prática, que o que realmente importa ao escrever é a reescrita. Mas por muito tempo, nunca tinha compreendido que reescrever ou revisar é RE-ENVISIONAR, ou seja, rever o texto com outros olhos.

Sempre achei que a edição de um texto era um ato mais racional, mas o “Revising Fiction” mostra como a imaginação e o ato de criação entram na edição, revisão e reescrita. E sabendo disso, tendo consciência disso, hoje eu curto a reescrita até mais do que a primeira versão dos meus textos narrativos!

“Revising Fiction” mostra que escrever é um eterno aprender. É muito legal ver o processo de revisão de escritores como Virgínia Woolf, Hemingway, Fitzgerald entre muitos outros, ver que, mesmo esses gênios, sofrem, cometem erros, reescrevem eternamente seus escritos, buscando sempre a melhor fora do texto expressar suas visões.

Recomendo fortemente esse livro, entrou na minha bibliografia básica e usarei-o para o meu futuro guia para escritores iniciantes, que estou escrevendo entre os intervalos do meu massivo e monstruoso romance o MARCA DA CAVEIRA.

O livro é dividido em capítulos separados por perguntas que todo escritor deveria fazer quando está em seu processo de revisão e reescrita.

Coloquei algumas dessas perguntas abaixo, só para vocês terem uma ideia:

Introdução: Revisão é um ato da imaginação Técnico
1 -Quais São as fontes de idéias
2 -O que acontece na primeira versão.
3 -Qual é o papel da imaginação na revisão
4 -Quais são os Estágios um escritor atravessa no seu domínio de Revisão?

I. PONTO DE VISTA NARRATIVO

1. Considerando a experiência que você quer que o leitor tenha com sua história, você usou um ponto de vista que é ineficaz?

2. Se você usou o ponto de vista onisciente, você já percebeu e desenvolveu todas as suas potencialidades?

3. Se você usou o ponto de primeira pessoa de vista, você já percebeu e desenvolveu todas as suas potencialidades?

4. Se você usou o ponto de vista de terceira pessoa fechada, você já percebeu e desenvolveu todas as suas potencialidades.

5. Você usou a técnica do monólogo interior de maneira eficaz?

6. Você usou a técnica do fluxo de consciência de maneira eficaz?

7. Quais são os efeitos negativos no estilo da técnica de ponto de vista que você empregadas na primeira versão?

8. Você conhece outras técnicas de ponto-de-vista narrativo e seus possíveis efeitos sobre o leitor?

9. Você misturou vários pontos de vista de uma vez inadivertidamente?

10. Você ainda não alcançou a distância adequada entre você e seu material?

11. Você deixou seus próprios preconceitos ou julgamentos se intrometerem na narrativa?

12. Existem inconsistências na sua utilização do ponto de vista narrativo?

13. O ponto de vista narrativo que você usou expressa um aspecto importante da experiência que você está narrando?

II. ESTILO

14. O seu estilo evoluiu a partir do ponto de vista narrativo para esta história?

15. Considerando a sua concepção geral, o seu estilo é a simples ou complexo?

16. Você desenvolveu o seu estilo, linha por linha?

17. O seu estilo passa um senso de imediatismo?

18. O seu estilo trabalha sobre todos os sentidos do leitor?

19. O seu estilo está de acordo com a história?

20. O seu estilo é mais literal ou mais sugestivo?

21. Você NARRA a seu leitor quando MOSTRAR seria mais eficaz?

22. Você usa a técnica narrativa da implicação?

23. Você você não consegue usar a técnica narrativa da implicação?

24. Você transformou os verbos em voz passiva para voz ativa dando mais dramaticidade para a sua história?

25. O seu estilo passa um senso de imediatismo na narrativa?

26. Você está usando a técnica do contraste em sua caracterização de personagem?

27. Você está usando a repetição como um dispositivo para dar ênfase?

28. Você está usando as técnicas de reversão em suas frases para surpeender o leitor?

29. Suas frases estão monótonas por falta de artifícios retóricos como paralelismo?

30. Você teve cuidado em usar os apostos e vocativos?

31. Você não conseguem usar o dispositivo pergunta onde ele pode ser eficaz?

32. Você criou frases ineficazes que pode ser refinado em frases-chave?

33. O seu estilo está sobrecarregado com frases inadequadamente formais?

34. Você não conseguiu fazer cada frase (ou fragmento de frase) uma unidade cuidadosamente trabalhada?

35. Você negligenciou jogar frases curtas e longas sentenças umas ao lado da outra, e variar o comprimento dos parágrafos para atingir o ritmo?

36. É o seu estilo sobrecarregado com palavras vazias e frases?

37. O seu estilo usa e abusa de clichês?

38. Você trabalha com jogo de palavras?

39. Sua sintaxe é estranha ou contorcida?

40. Você usou adjetivos e advérbios indiscriminadamente?

41. Você usa muitos pronomes vagos?

42. Você usa muitas conjunções mecânicas ou conectivos pobres?

etc.

III. PERSONAGENS

63. Seus personagens estão bem construídos?

66. Você precisa combinar duas ou mais personagens em um?

71. Você deu os seus leitores a impressão errada sobre qualquer um dos seus personagens?

IV. NARRATIVA

73. Você inadvertidamente, criou situações clichês?

75. Você já apresentou a linha narrativa mecanicamente?

81. Há passagens de diálogo longas que devem ser compactados um sumário narrativo?

92. Você de alguma forma atenuou o impacto do clímax?

V. DIÁLOGO

98. Existe uma desproporção entre os elementos da narrativa, de diálogo, descrição?

99. Você não conseguiu fazer de diálogo executar funções secundárias?

101. O seu diálogo abusa do dialeto, gírias ou expressões coloquiais?

VI. DESCRIÇÃO

108. Você dedica muito espaço para a criação do ambiente?

109. São as suas descrições de personagens, configuração e objetos sem relação à uma concepção?

111. Você tem negligenciou apresentar a descrição indiretamente?

VII. DISPOSITIVOS

127. Você tem negligenciado a imaginar usos para o dispositivo de antecipação?

129. Você não conseguiu imaginar uma utilização eficaz para o dispositivo de reversão?

153. Você já perdeu lugares onde você pode cultivar uma ambiguidade expressiva que é apropriado para a concepção geral?

VIII. CONSIDERAÇÕES GERAIS

157. Você simplesmente utilizar dispositivos mecânicos ou é técnica de um agente de descoberta narrativa?

168. Você limita sua imaginação de alguma forma?

183. Você subestima ou super-estima o seu leitor, criando confusão?

RECOMENDO PARA QUEM CURTE:

Livros de dicas e sugestões para escritores.

Quem quer se apaixonar pelo processo de revisão.

Quem quer melhorar e MUITO suas técnicas narrativas!

ONDE COMPRAR

Amazon

Revising Fiction: A Handbook for Writers by David Madden
Revising Fiction: A Handbook for Writers
by David Madden
Link: https://amzn.com/0452264146
Érika & Newton – Inglês por Skype
Faça uma AULA EXPERIMENTAL GRATUITA!
Aulas TODOS OS DIAS, de 7 às 23 horas!

Visite o nosso Blog Melhore Seu Inglês:
https://melhoreseuingles.wordpress.com/

Curta Nossa página no Facebook:
https://goo.gl/qcPQUK

Nosso Canal no Youtube – Melhore Seu Inglês:
https://goo.gl/KYns5i

CONTATO

Newton Rocha | Professor de Inglês – Aulas por Skype
WhatsApp: 9143-7388 | Skype: prof.newtonrocha@gmail.com
LinkedIin: https://goo.gl/7rajxF

Érika de Pádua | Professora de Inglês – Aulas por Skype
WhatsApp: (31) 9223-5540 | Skype: erikadepadua@gmail.com
Linkedin: https://goo.gl/2c6QIb

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.6

This was an alright book on revising, but it had its issues. My biggest complaint is that it was a full book when I really don't think it needed to be. The table of contents probably would've made a better resource as a sort of checklist of things to consider when revising. I wouldn't say it's an amazing checklist, but it covers plenty of good questions to ask yourself when approaching a revision, even if in practice, the actual revision process is going to require much more involved answers to many of those questions.

The bulk of the book consists of short entries going over what each question means and how you might see it come up and ways to fix it, without much in the way of flexible specifics. Almost all of these entries are 90% or so just talking about examples from pieces of literature that exemplify the principle in question. I didn't find these helpful almost at all, which is a big reason I wasn't a fan of this book since that was most of the book. Despite the effort to use well-known works, from what I could tell, it was hard to grasp a good number of the points unless the example was from a work I've read before and even then, it wasn't all that clear and I got tired of reading block quotes without getting much from it. Further, all of the examples are from literary fiction and there's almost not even a mention of genre fiction in the book. I'm not really counting that against the book since I'm sure there are plenty of people who would prefer that, but it was a mark against the book for me on a personal level since that's not really what I'm looking for.

Overall, the book is useful in listing off things to consider when revising. I also can't say I've seen many books specifically on revision, so that's nice in itself. But ultimately, my biggest complaint is that there just wasn't enough substance that was actually useful for me to consider it that good of a book or one that I'd recommend. While I tried not to hold it against the book that it was so focused on literary fiction exclusively, if that were your interest, the book might be more useful.

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must admit I did not get all the way thru this. It presents itself as a "handbook for writers" but this description is misleading. It is not very useful if you are an average writer working on a fiction manuscript and looking for some advice on how best to revise your work. If you are writing literary fiction with a lot of self-conscious technique then it might have some value. Madden regularly shows us examples from Faulkner, Wright Morris, and Frank O'Connor, none of whom are read as often as they were in the 1960s and 70s. The book is split up into short sections preceded by questions (e.g. "Do you neglect to prepare contents that will enable you to use the device of implication?" & "Have you failed to imagine your style, line by line?") As another reviewer here pointed out, the questions are not organized in a way that a writer could apply to doing a revision. And, in my opinion at least, the sections do not always provide an effective illustration of the questions that headline them. However, as a discussion of literary devices, this can be pretty interesting in places. Of course, it is all divorced from any kind of characters or ongoing narrative, which makes it a little dry. But if you are a literature geek, you might get something out of it.

[Ryan Berger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent. I think it'll be worth it to revisit once I finish a particularly important first or second draft. The worrier in me will be glad to have 185 things to go back and consider before putting my story into the world.

That said, this feels fairly dated in a lot of ways. It's so dense and a chore to read. A lot of the goodwill the book built early by explaining what old drafts of famous stories looked liked is long gone by the end because the references are either obscure, clumsy, unclear in their purpose, or (in one writer's humble opinion) make the passages read worse--and a lot of times all four.

Really not fun to read. I'll also echo a similar sentiment in this review thread in that a book that tells you only what not to do without giving you ample explanation as to what to do instead can only keep that plate spinning for so long before you want to shoot the book with a gun. I was at that point before we reached the century mark of tips. Just a complete slog to read.

I saw a lot of my bad habits targeted and deconstructed and honestly, I'm thankful to have this as a reference guide but it should also be said I think there are more than a few handfuls of situations where I feel like the advice comes down to a matter of taste.

[Jo Deurbrouck]

Recommended by a writer friend in a back and forth about favorite books on writing. Here's what she said:

"It's set up as question and answer, it has lots of examples of revisions and it has a whole original and revised short story to study at the end of the book. Parts of the book aren't as coherent or profound as Gardner [The Art of Fiction:], but it's still a great resource. Few books on writing address revision directly, which is stupid -- revision is what it's all about! I think the current revision bible is "Self-editing for Fiction Writers" by Browne & King. It's not profound at all. It just has great discussions of the mechanics of editing. Based on it, I made a long list of stuff to watch out for in a line edit."

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was initially skeptical of this book; it seemed to have more quote lists and novel spoilers than insightful and practical advice. But it improved and ended up being very helpful overall. The table of contents doubles nicely as a comprehensive revision checklist. The selections that showed how Faulkner, Woolf, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, etc. rewrote some of their most famous passages were fascinating as well.

[Madly Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still very good. I made my own check list sheet from this book. Excellent. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Very good book with great list of questions on writing. Not all are needed. But a very useful list and small, brief, but concise examples. Liked it a lot. I made my own revision list from this book, a list that fit my book and needs. This is the one book along with Kaplan's that I would recommend to writers.

[Duane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It's a treasure. I wish I could find a new version because my copy is falling apart. The pages are brown.

This book is not just a cookbook. It helps thinking about style, techniques, and generating effects.

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A guide for revising fiction (but also writing it) set as a list of 185 questions to ask yourself as you (re)write or even (re)think a story. It surely gave me a lot of ideas as I read it through, but I feel it'll be even more useful as a reference, even for non-english texts.

[Gabriel Orgrease · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful toward improving habits and skills of rewriting.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Presented in a Q&A format, this book challenges writers to reexamine their works of fiction from a variety of angles. Should be required reading for all aspiring authors.

[Ashkrisb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite instructional book. I used it for teaching creative writing and I also use it for my own writing. It is simply a great tool for any writer.

[Elizabeth Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book full of good advice in an impossible-to-apply format. It's also unreadable. AND he gives no guidance for the order in which to make the changes he's suggesting.

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three things about this book:
(TLDR: racist language used, if that’s something that’s triggering for you, skip this book)

1. It had very interesting points, and I really liked that the author used different drafts of the same published works to show examples of how other authors have revised. There were tons of questions to hold up to your own draft to help the revision process, and a short description of each one. Many of them were informative, but some fell a little short and could have done with a bit more explanation.

2. The base of works seemed rather limited, with the works predominantly white European/American authors. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but I would have liked to see more of a range of authors to get a broader spectrum of the revision process across the world.

3. That being said, even with a limited pool, there are plenty of books by plenty of people that I didn’t expect or appreciate the multiple examples with racist language used. I understand that this book is old but I picked it up to help with my drafts, and multiple examples used (I can think of four off the top of my head) made me feel like putting it down. I was fully prepared to give this book a higher rating but I can’t in good conscience.
(Examples include use of the N word, as well as anti-black and anti-Semitic language)

[Kati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book sight unseen because there just aren't that many books on revision of long fiction. I've gotten 72 pages in, and while I've gotten some good tidbits out of it, I think I'm done. To be blunt, I'm spending more time questioning this guy's qualifications than I am getting good advice.

One problem is that he references many authors and works that he clearly thought would be enduring classics and assumes you have read, but they have fallen into obscurity and are long out of print. It makes me question his judgement again and again.

Then there's an inherent problem with the format: it's 185 questions of "did you screw up your novel this way?" All of his questions are negative. Some of them are phrased very awkwardly in order to be negative. As a reader, that wears on me. At first, that feels like a petty complaint, but this guy is supposed to be a professional writer and teacher of writing. He's supposed to understand the power of words and how to use them to affect people. If he thinks 185 variations of "did you screw up this way?" will be more effective than "could this improve your story further?", is he really someone I want to take advice from?

[Hakuzo Sionnach · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book I feel is a mix of good ideas but poor examples an execution. Every point is valid yes, but the writer did a very poor job explaining what to do in each section. He either used snippets with very dry or uninteresting stories or no examples at all. The descriptions of each section was non-existent.

I feel this book is a good check list but nothing more. It is tedious and not very clear to new writers. Most of the information is very outdated and I would say any new writer avoid this book.

[Alicia Zuto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This guy is a genius. Just for the content alone, he has scored in my book;) he offers two different forms. One is by subject and then co-subjects underneath each major subject. And then he does the entire contents by alphabetical order. There's a lot of great material in here that will help writers at all stages. I do wish they were examples given by students to answer little exercises and such but it just isn't that type of book. For the type of book it is, it is very beneficial to writers and I appreciate his extra effort!!

[Mark J Easton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personally I love this book, and find it contains plenty of useful questions that'd help the majority of writers hone their fiction writing—it certainly helps me.

Interesting that it divides readers. While I personally love it, I understand why some don't, as it's a touch old fashioned, and perhaps it could do with a spring clean to better fit the broad range modern writers.

[Lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the tips are undoubtedly handy and I bookmarked those pages. The copy I bought could have used with a lot of updating, though - some of the advice was just not relevant.

[C.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a long time to make my way through this on. That’s the right way to read it, in slow chunks. The author asks 180 questions to allow you to bring out the best in your book. I found myself read, and then going back and revising, reading some more. Only down side, he used literary examples that I haven’t read and that made things confusing as he makes assumptions about what what readers write (literary fiction) and therefor what they would have already read. As a genre writer, I wished he would have broadened this examples list. Sounds petty, but it annoyed me he excluded us, hence the three stars.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a GOOD writing book. The author examines books by well-known authors and presents a good list of questions writers should ask themselves as they write or revise their own fiction. Although the book is titled, Revising Fiction, it would be good for many writers to read this while they are in the process of writing. Madden discusses many aspects of writing, including point of view, style, character development, narrative, dialog and description. I'm glad I found this book and have recommended it to other writers.

[Lauren Dostal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished this one! It is not exactly a page turner, but it does offer some really great wisdom on the practice of revision through before and after examples from famous or well known works of literature. The general idea is, of course, a conscious mind towards the technical nature of your writing, regularly reimagining scenes, dialogue, description, etc. in new ways using all the available tools and techniques in order to find the most effective way to tell your story. Very informative, but a little dull, hence the 4.5 months it took to read.

[Radical · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on writing that I've read. I enjoyed his emphasis on comparing different editions of books, or even authors' published notes, to point out what changed and explain why. It's an excellent analysis of the process.

[Tim Suddeth]

Very good but may be overwhelming.

[Walter Balerno · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very useful and practical guide to revising your work. Yes, it's old but the advice is still excellent. I have always loved writing and hated editing but after reading this book I'm actually looking forward to revising my next work.

[Erin Penn · Rating 2 out of 5]

When the forward of a handbook starts with "If I sound pontifical, consider that in any attempt to tell another writer anything about writing, that tone is unavoidable and, I hope, forgivable.", I know things are going to get into some deep doo-doo. And, yes, often throughout the book the writer does cross then line into pontifical. He has created a handbook, as a teacher, for LITERARY fiction writers and students. I have read several books about writing which do not wax words to the point of being "characterized by a pompous and superior air of infallibility." (the definition of pontifical) - but they were created by genre writers for the genre audience. Mr. Card's How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy and Mr. Schubert's Magical Words: A Writer's Companion are lively, accessible, and informative, without being pretentious.

That said, Mr. Madden's handbook does present some very interesting tools for the revision/editing process. He make clearer than any other source I have accessed the first draft is just a beginning and it absolutely okay if it is crap. Seeing how Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, and James Joyce revised works during and after publication brings a reassurance to an author staring at the line-of-conscious thought spewed on a page during the initial frenzy of putting words onto paper.

The major problem with the book is it then kills the reassurance with how 185 questions are asked. All advice is in a negative format. Mr. Madden says this choice was a deliberate decision on his part. Which means instead of encouraging new writers or writers needing to take their efforts to the next level with "how to" advice, he instead gives "don't do". "Don't Do" when already getting discouraged by the editing process may take the slow methodical painful process to a complete standstill as the brain starts saying to the writer "Don't do ... just don't."

A major piece of advice given to writers is read outside their genre. Having read a couple of genre "how to" books, adding this literary handbook on writing into the mix gives me new tools to shape my writing. In addition, it exposed me to parts of some of the more famous American literary masterpieces as writing examples. But if you are new to the craft and are going to be a genre writer (or editor), I recommend starting elsewhere and only come back to this handbook when you need to approach your writing from outside your normal genre.