Book Alchemy
The Secret Library Podcast
Sarah Selecky | Making Magic with Revision
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Sarah Selecky | Making Magic with Revision

Every time Sarah Selecky and I get together to talk about writing, I feel a little high afterward.

This conversation was no exception and, in many ways, this one had me buzzing more than any of the ones we've had before. Sarah was the first person to convince me that revision wasn't a dirty word and that it could even be something enjoyable.

The thing that gets in the way of enjoying the process is the pervasive belief that revision is something you make happen. That as the writer you have to take the material of your book so far and force it into a shape that is pleasing and effective. There is a very grinding quality to this approach.

As Sarah and I remind ourselves and each other in this conversation, there are plenty of creative processes we can model ourselves after that do not look like a construction site, where we press on with timetables and a foreman checking his watch constantly. Instead, Sarah shares how she uses nature as a model, a force that is is just as powerful, if not more so, and one that plays by decidedly different rules. Follow along and learn the magical way to revise, one that leaves you uplifted rather than depleted, and let yourself be surprised by escaping the grind entirely. Have fun listening to this one -- we certainly had fun making it for you.

Full show notes with links: https://secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/sarah-selecky-s2-ep6


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Book Alchemy
The Secret Library Podcast
Most people believe that books are created in cabins all alone, where authors pound away on some manner of keyboard. Then they hand this masterpiece off to a publisher and it feels very much like it goes down a tube and comes out the other side as a book. By speaking to authors and other book lovers, I'm diving into the mystery that is the book world today.