“Most writers scan their drafts first, reading as quickly as possible to catch the larger problems of subject and form, and then move in closer and closer as they read and write, reread and rewrite” (Murray 28).

Throughout Donald Murray’s piece, The Maker’s Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts, we encounter many explanations of what revision truly is. Revision is a way of correcting and improving your own writing to get the best result possible. In the article, Murray expresses that, “Writers must learn to be their own best enemy” (page 27). The word enemy might be confusing being that our enemies tend to bring us down. However, Murray is explaining that we should be able to critic our own work in a constructive manner. There are many aspects that go into becoming a better writer. Revision is just one of the first steps. 

Murray uses many different verbs to describe revision, but two that stood out to be in particular were “reread” and “rewrite.” These verbs stood out because they were used repetitively in the reading. The act of revising is just that, reread your work over again and deciding what needs to be changed or rewritten. Both go hand-in-hand with one another because as you reread you tend to rewrite. One of the most important parts of revision is making sure the writing will connect with the audience. At the end of the day, most writers write so they can form a connection with the readers. A writer should always alter their writing in a way that will best inform the reader of the information being presented and that will create the best sense of entertainment. When writing, you want to hook your readers, making them want to read all you have to offer. I believe revision is part of a much larger process when becoming a skilled writer. A great writer must be fully committed to the process of writing and have patience because the process can take a great deal of time. The ability to critic your own work is just one of the many aspects it takes to be a professional writer. 

Murray did a great job in differentiating what it means to be an amateur writer and a professional writer. I thoroughly understood the importance of revision and how self-criticism will only benefit you in your career. The repetition of verbs and adverbs, which explained what revision is, demonstrates how Murray wants his readers to grasp the importance of the whole process. 

Good writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this” (page 28). 

Revising is the part of the writing process that, to most, comes to mind last, yet it is the most crucial [part]. “I might revise a page twenty times.” Roald Dahl, the popular children’s writer, states, “By the time I’m nearing the end of a story, the first part will have been reread and altered and corrected at least 150 times…Good writing is essentially rewriting. I am positive of this” (page 28). The word good modifies the following word writing and helps reveal a sizable amount of information about the term revision. The quote itself refers to revision as the essence of all good writing. Revision is the backbone of any and all successful works of writing. Revision is the idea of re-examining and altering a piece of writing, allowing for said piece to read more fluently and overall, for a stronger final product to be produced. Writing in a sense, is the precursor to revision. Once a writing piece is fully revised, it is then, and only then, that it can be considered finished (although some may argue a piece of writing can never be finished).

The most important part of the writing process is revision. We are our best critics and revision allows us to be just that; the most important part of revision itself, is the opportunity to be able to go back and improve on our past mistakes. Again, revision is the backbone of the writing process. Without it, a piece of writing can never manage to get close to achieving its ideal state… or to a point where the writer has given his/her full effort. Revision requires a great deal of effort and attention to detail. The writer must critique his/her own piece of writing until there is practically nothing left to critique. Some writers, like Dahl, revise their writing multiple times, resulting in the trashing of dozens of pages in order to achieve the “perfect writing piece”. When a writer criticizes his/her writing and holds it to a degree higher than his/her readers do, that writer has a much greater chance at writing an excellent piece compared to one who does not put in as much effort into the revising process.

“The writer must learn to read critically but constructively, to cut what is bad, to reveal what is good. Eleanor Estes, the children’s book author, explains: “The writer must survey his work critically, coolly, as though he were a stranger to it. He must be willing to prune, expertly and hardheart-edly” (page 28). One who is overly critical of his/her own work will find much success in the writing sphere and excel. However, it is possible to critique “too much” and ruin a wonderful piece of writing. When a writer begins to go down the path of revision, it is important not to get too carried away. Only critique what does not match the vision you have for your writing. One’s piece of writing is at it’s best when it has been treated properly and revised with care.

“The element on which writers may spend a majority of their time is development.” (page 28)

Development is mentioned in the passage by Murray on numerous occasions and has the purpose of ensuring that the writing is clear for the reader. To fully develop a piece of writing, it may take several attempts until the work is fully completed. The definition of fully developed to me is when there are no questions that remain unanswered in our writing.  that Murray says  “Each section of a piece of writing must be adequately developed”. Adequately stuck out to me because the author is working to get their point across to the reader and has to develop the work until they have satisfied that criteria. If a piece of writing is not fully developed, it is severely lacking in the information that every reader is looking for and will likely keep them focused on the work without quickly losing interest. Development in writing can be defined as when the piece of work has been properly balanced and reads clearly in an informative way. Revision and development are not only exclusive to writing, I know that many musical artists have to work so many attempts on one verse until they have reached the final product they are satisfied with. Revision in this case can be applied to both musical artists and writers, as well as artists, movie directors, and other professions that rely on perfection in their work. There is no certain way to gauge if a piece of writing is complete, but each writer has their own method. Development and revision can be intertwined in writing because they both lead to the same end goal.  When developing a piece of writing, It may take several times until the writer is satisfied to finish their work. 

In my personal work, I would say i’m not the most advanced writer, but I like to plan out my work before I begin writing as it allows me to think about each section instead of going head first into an assignment. Revision is the most important element in the writing process because of the perspective after their work is “complete”. While Revising, as Murray says “ Most people think that the principal problem is that writers are too proud of what they have written”. This mentality while writing is detrimental to the whole writing process and it does not allow the writer to get the most out of their work from the thoughts of others who can provide helpful insight. The best writers are not satisfied with their first draft, these writers take the first draft to criticize their work and through this, revision is able to occur and their best work is a result from the revision process. I believe that the process of developing a piece of writing is just as important to revision as without a developed piece of writing, the whole entire work will not resonate with the reader. While revising, getting the criticism from someone else is just as important as the reader revising their own work. The more criticism results in overall better work. A work that has not been revised is full of errors, grammatical flaws, and other issues that can be easily fixed. 

In High School, I would occasionally take the easy route and skip multiple revisions in the attempt to get the stress of a paper off my chest. Unknowingly, I was ultimately hurting myself instead of trying to be the best possible writer that I could be. A personal experience in writing in which I have begun a piece of writing in High School would be when I wrote my College Essay. The struggle of completing a successful college essay involves numerous attempts, the process of writing the essay involves deleting and adding many points after they have been reviewed by counselors and other teachers. This relates to the Murray reading as we all worked towards creating our best work possible to be admitted into our dream colleges. This article by Murray has allowed me to realize that writing is a long strenuous process, but in the end, the work pays off knowing that every ounce of effort was put forth onto every assignment.

– “They must detach themselves from their own pages so that they can apply both their caring and their craft to their own work. Such detachment is not easy.” (Page 27)

Detachment is impossible. There is no way for one to completely detach themselves from their work, yet it is what we ask of ourselves when we strive to improve our skills in a given field. We can’t just forget about all the time and effort we put into our work when we seek to improve our craft, and this is why detachment is so hard. I believe that detachment is never completely attainable, but that we can work to try to get as close to that point as possible. When we detach our egos from the work we create, we are able to steer our work in a direction that is closer to what we envision it to be; this is why we revise.

Writing is a form of expression in its most early state. When we have something to share, or we are passionate about something, we can use words to express that. The words that we use are an initial attempt at teaching someone something, telling a story, or evoking an emotion. Often times, the words we use in our first attempt of writing do not achieve the desired goal of transmitting an idea from the mind of the writer to the mind of the reader. For the writer, this holy grail of transmission can only be achieved through the thorough act of revision.

Revision is not glamorous; it takes lots of hard work. It requires the writer to read their own work as if it was not their own. They must become overly critical of their work. In fact, they should strive to be more critical than anyone else when it comes to their writing. If a writer is more critical of their work than everyone else, this means they are progressing in their skills of detachment and criticism. Revision is also detailed; it requires one to re-read every page, every line, even down to a single word to see what could be improved upon. The more detailed one is with their revisions, the better the end result will be.

Revision is the part of writing that is noticed the least. The initial writing is what gets all of the credit since, after all, it’s the only reason a writer could even revise their work in the first place. The actual majority of a writer’s work is involved in perfecting their initial writing. Even though 90 percent of a writer’s work is involved in revising, the 10 percent of the work – which is the initial writing – is what takes the cake. This gets down to the root of why the average reader’s expectation of writing is so inaccurate: as readers, we have been deceived into believing that the majority of a writer’s work is involved in writing because we only see the final product. The result of this is that when a reader, such as a student, must write an essay or a story, they don’t understand the full process that a true writer must go through to finish a piece of work.

Revision is the most important part of the writing process. It’s what allows someone to transmit their ideas into the mind of another person in a more effective manner. It can turn a good piece of writing into an outstanding one. By detaching yourself from your work and being your own worst critic, you can begin to improve your revision skills. But this is something that must be approached with caution. Your criticism and judgment could lead to your own demise. When a writer grows to be too critical, they can find themselves never finishing and eventually giving up on what, at one point, had given them so much inspiration and joy. “Writers must learn to be their own best enemy,” but don’t mistake your best enemy for your worst enemy. The best writer is the one who applies criticism to their work with care so that they improve their writing, but also don’t lose their love for it.

Rewriting. “Most readers underestimate the amount of rewriting it usually takes to produce  spontaneous reading.” (page 28)

Writing on its own is the action of composing text and literature, on the other side, revision is reading your own text – usually with the intention of modifying it.  Revision cannot be compared to writing, because revision is a fundamental step of proper writing. It is when the writer finishes their first draft (“Draft Zero”), the foundation of their work, and criticizes their own text from the point of view of the audience, with the job to; better understand the image perceived by the reader, confirm that they are delivering the information the reader needs and desires, as well as assuring that their form and tone are correct for the intended audience. In the text, Murray makes constant use of the verbs “writing”, but even more so, “rewriting” by which he emphasizes on the importance of revision and subsequent amending and improvement of a piece of writing until it is of the liking – or at least the acceptance – of the very own writer, seeing their own work from a 3rd perspective; “the last act of the writing must be to become one’s own reader”. In the act of revision, it is important for the writer to keep an open mind to criticism, be this their own or from other individuals (family, peers, friends, etc). When rewriting their work, the author must select critic commentaries and thoughts, filtering the constructive content that they find the most useful for their writing piece. Revision, in other words, is doing critical analysis and critical reading of their own work – this can be especially challenging for a writer as when they read their own text they already know their goal and the tone intended. When doing this critical analysis, which further connotes rewriting, it is important for the author to remember to maintain the original purpose of the text. The objective in the process of rewriting is not to change the spirit of the writing piece, or what this one intends, but to improve its vehicle, which is how it is delivered to the audience. 

Writing is like baking, revision is going over the recipe to make sure you did things correctly while judging the taste of the dough and its consistency – depending on what you want to achieve, rewriting is adding a little more of this and that depending on the baker’s intuition of the mixture. A great detriment for writing apprentices is that they only get to appreciate the final result, they get to taste the cake but don’t get to see the recipe nor they have an idea of the writer’s struggle to achieve the end product. Most writing students assume that professional writers have no need to revise their work, that writing is just a second nature of theirs and requires little to no effort do to constant practice – while this is not one hundred percent erroneous it’s certainly very far from the truth. Being a good writer on its very definition it’s a vicious cycle of drafts, revision, and rewriting; all of it in an effort towards perfection, for which a good writer most naturally be a perfectionist, never fully satisfied with their work, even after it has been submitted and published.