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Re-visioning Fridays


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I revised/ tweaked 3 stories in the last few days.

I had already submitted one of them to a publication, but since they and another publication both allow simultaneous submissions, I decided to submit the same piece.
Before I clicked the ‘Submit’ button, though, I decided to do a read-through. Before long, I was making changes. Small ones, but quite a few. Nothing was wrong, really, but some things could be bettered.
While I agree with the precept of “polish till it shines”, I wonder how long a writer should keep polishing, and when does the, moment to click “send” arrive?
As writers, till what point do you tweak your work?
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Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas

Damyanti Biswas is the author of You Beneath Your Skin and numerous short stories that have been published in magazines and anthologies in the US, the UK, and Asia. She has been shortlisted for Best Small Fictions and Bath Novel Awards and is co-editor of the Forge Literary Magazine. Her literary crime thriller series, the Blue Mumbai, is represented by Lucienne Diver from The Knight Agency. Both The Blue Bar and The Blue Monsoon were published in 2023.

I appreciate comments, and I always visit back. If you're having trouble commenting, let me know via the contact form, or tweet me up @damyantig !

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4 Comments

  • Elizabeth Twist says:
    14/04/2011 at 19:03

    I usually don't hyper polish a piece the first time I send it out. Grammar and spelling, style, and everything that should be right is as right as I can make it.

    When a piece is rejected, I'll give it a once over before I send it out again. Sometimes it's fine. Sometimes I'll end up finding a gaping plot hole.

    C'est la vie!

    Reply
  • Damyanti says:
    03/04/2011 at 04:59

    Janna, I'm pretty much like you 🙂

    Elizabeth, out of hands, out of mind is pretty much my motto :). I take care not to submit to the same place twice, but other than that, I forget about it!

    Reply
  • Elizabeth Mueller says:
    01/04/2011 at 16:02

    Ugh, how do you deal with queasiness once you've submitted? I've been sick to my stomach. I don't think there ever be a satisfying feeling of ever being "Done"

    ♥.•*¨ Elizabeth ¨*•.♥

    Reply
  • jannatwrites says:
    01/04/2011 at 05:58

    I like to edit a story and then leave a story alone for bit and then come back to it and read it aloud. If it passes the out-loud reading test, then I'm comfortable enough to send it out.

    Given the opportunity, I will over-polish a story until I can't bring myself to read it anymore.

    Reply