Reflections on Revisions

Focused, unsustainable attention.

Hello All!

I am two weeks away from turning in my book. My revisions have been nearly all-consuming for over two months now, and what they consume of me, my time, my energy, has increased with each week. This is the most extensive and reforming revision I’ve done (and hopefully will ever do) on my book, which is set to come out Spring 2024.

Every day I wake up at 530am, work, go for a little walk, work, go to the gym, work, and work, and work. I am either working on the book, teaching my classes, or taking my classes (and reading for my classes). I never thought I’d be able to revise like this while also in the first year of my PhD, and it turns out I can do it, but it certainly isn’t sustainable.

What I’ve discovered is: the practice of revising requires letting go. In order to find the shape that’s most supportive for my narrative, I must let go of the story I thought I was telling. I must let go of my reader’s hand and trust them to find their way. I must let go of any need to curat…