How Do You Know?

I was chatting with a writer friend on the phone this afternoon. She was editing a story for a publication where one of my stories has recently been published. She said, “I keep revising and revising. How do I know when I’m really finished with the story?”
I told her that in April, I went to hear Robin Black at Clear Creek Books in downtown Golden. Robin read about 1/3 of a story from her new book. When she finished and asked for questions, a writer in the audience asked that same question. Robin’s answer? She said, “I don’t know. When I read that excerpt from my book to you, I changed some of the words because I decided I liked them better than the words printed on the page.” I loved that answer. Even a professional writer, one who has devoted her life to writing, one whose book is translated into four different languages in four different countries, revises even after the words are in print!
My friend and I laughed at the story and then we said to each other, “What hope is there for us?” We’ll agonize over our work forever – but in the meantime, we’ll be sending it out and hoping that editors like it. When we’re famous and appearing and reading from our own work, we reserve the right to revise!

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