An Example of "Revision"

[Quasimodem]

There was a recent thread discussing the difference between Draft and Revision.

I realized that here was a chance to demonstrate the difference, while doing a bit of SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION at the same time.

You may have read my story "Stars Over Snippettsville" in the Snippettsville 600 word story thread.

When the group began to publish them to the story archives, I realized that in my first Snippettsville story, I had failed to achieve the proper ambiance, and withdrew it.

I REVISED the story into a longer length – from 600 to 1,000 words approx. This was to be published on its own. Also, I had to remove all direct reference to Snippettsville.

Although the two terms are used interchangeably, and the difference is subtle, IMO a redraft is a similar version of a story, with corrections and slight changes to story flow.

A revision is a major change in some, or several measurements of that story, be it sequence, compression, expansion, or rewording.

The revised version of "Stars Over Snippettsville" has just been posted as "Stars Above."

Feel free to examine it

 

[Guest]

Hmmmm -

You know, Quasi -

I haven't yet had the chance to read Stars Above but I will do so at first opportunity.

And I must add that your intensely dramatic flare with BOLD print and Italics (as well as your strong and rock hard definitions of Revision vs. Draft) have me feeling all warm and squirmy inside.

 

[Pure]

What's needed, besides those terms is a term for a small change. Generally that's called a revision. As in "I've made several revisions in my will. I've dropped cousin Tom from the beneficiaries. etc."

What you call a 'revision' is what I'd call a set of revisions or a 'complete revision'.

I would use re-draft similarly, but perhaps agree it suggests really major change overall.

 

[cahab]

To me, A draft is an unfinished work.
A re-draft is a major rehash of that work, that still leaves it an an unfinished state.
A revision is something you do after a work is completed.

Therefore you revise a will if it has already been lodged.

I don't know exactly what the situation you describe with Stars Above would be in literary terms. It's kind of a re-make, I guess.

Personally, i don't really consider anything I have on Lit a completed work. Everything is a draft, so far, even though it is public.

Confusing, huh?