2 ms·

For essays, a revision database is useful. They're constructed of elements, single arguments for a collaborative effort to prove an argument or illustrate a poi

For essays, a revision database is useful. They're constructed of elements, single arguments for a collaborative effort to prove an argument or illustrate a point. When I write fiction, I don't want to remember where I came from. If I remember my source of an idea too well, I risk full out plagiarizing an idea instead of making it my own and building on it. I can't write a story about a boy going to a magical school and focus too heavy on the obvious source without making a fanfic of Harry Potter, and you can't focus on the less obvious source without making a fanfic of Earthsea. An essayist needs to remember their source to stay on point. A fictionist needs to forget the source and get lost in the literary woods. You build a universe and have an adventure. Stephen King for example finds an idea and simply asks "what happens now?" Asimov had the problem that he played the formulaic method and some of his stories were extremely weak because of the lack of freedom. He dedicated his whole work to the source, and only really succeeded because his ideas were at least original. However, Asimov is my personal least favourite of the great SF writers. I'll drop dead for any Arthur C. Clark or any Heinlein, but I'll get bored with the vast majority of Asimovs work because it's so A,B,C formula that it kills the fun.

nostrademons 16y ago
I'm sorta the opposite way - when I write fiction, I really want something that remembers everything I wrote before, because then I can forget about what I just wrote. I used to have a real problem with deleting code, because I worked hard on it, damnit, and a non-trivial number of times the stuff I thought was the wrong approach turns out to be the right one. That fear went away once I started using version control, because I know that if I ever need the code, it's a rollback away. The same goes for fiction. I find it hard to discard ideas and whole pages of prose, because damnit, I worked hard on that, and the story might shift again in the future to require it. If I'm using a word processor with revision history, I can just trust the computer to keep the old stuff, and if I ever need it again, I can pull it up.
- electromagnetic 16y ago
  Back when I wrote reviews I developed an all-or-nothing approach. The few times my editor said "this one needs major changes" I would simply delete and rewrite the whole thing from scratch - one time did a total rewrite of a 1,500 word review inside an hour, and I know for me I couldn't have done it without 'destroying' (there's always a copy somewhere) my old work. I suppose if having a revision history gives you the bravery to take a hatchet to your work, then it's certainly beneficial to your writing. If anything I would need a version control because I edit like a Roman general; I decimate. I'll take out huge swathes because it doesn't fit, but once or twice I find myself going back and putting essentially the same sentence in - written better, but nothing editing couldn't have done. However, I live with my methods, but I've wanted to try a revision history when writing a short story as I need to ridiculously edit them compared to a longer piece.

nostrademons 16y ago

I'm sorta the opposite way - when I write fiction, I really want something that remembers everything I wrote before, because then I can forget about what I just wrote. I used to have a real problem with deleting code, because I worked hard on it, damnit, and a non-trivial number of times the stuff I thought was the wrong approach turns out to be the right one. That fear went away once I started using version control, because I know that if I ever need the code, it's a rollback away. The same goes for fiction. I find it hard to discard ideas and whole pages of prose, because damnit, I worked hard on that, and the story might shift again in the future to require it. If I'm using a word processor with revision history, I can just trust the computer to keep the old stuff, and if I ever need it again, I can pull it up.

electromagnetic 16y ago
Back when I wrote reviews I developed an all-or-nothing approach. The few times my editor said "this one needs major changes" I would simply delete and rewrite the whole thing from scratch - one time did a total rewrite of a 1,500 word review inside an hour, and I know for me I couldn't have done it without 'destroying' (there's always a copy somewhere) my old work. I suppose if having a revision history gives you the bravery to take a hatchet to your work, then it's certainly beneficial to your writing. If anything I would need a version control because I edit like a Roman general; I decimate. I'll take out huge swathes because it doesn't fit, but once or twice I find myself going back and putting essentially the same sentence in - written better, but nothing editing couldn't have done. However, I live with my methods, but I've wanted to try a revision history when writing a short story as I need to ridiculously edit them compared to a longer piece.