The Magic Of Revision | Obert Skye | TEDxIdahoFalls

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Obert Skye: Thank you. In 1962 in a remote
village in Scotland, a team of American

scientists discovered sixteen people who
all had the ability to fly. Actually, that's

not true, but it just seemed like a really
cool way to start a talk. And even

though that beginning is sort of
illlegit - unlegit - nongity, well it

doesn't really matter because revision
has given us all the power to revise.

So, I'd like to begin again. I was born
the son of a father who sold fish and

chips at a fast food restaurant. My
mother was kind, but due to an illness,

she spent a lot of time sleeping.
My older brother was very tall.

My two sisters used to steal the
nylon stockings off our neighbors

clothes line and put them over my
head because they thought it would

improve my image. Not everything
I've experienced in my life has been

wonderful, just like not everything
we first write down is perfect.

So as I begin, take note that it is
not the beginning of the writing

process that I wish to talk about.
It is a spot closer to the end.

It is a spot where revision resides.
As a human, I have spent my whole life

in constant revision. Always wanting to
change things up. Always wondering

what if or how would it be. While
others whisper imagination, and

good for them. I am a fan of
imagination. But while they whisper

imagination, I shout revise. You see
the writing process is just that.

It is a process of vital steps that
you must follow, and I've talked

all over the planet about what I
egotistically call the Obert Eight.

Eight very important steps of writing.
And while each step in the process

- it might come up. While each step
in the process is important,

I believe that step number five is the
most frustratingly magical. And step

number five is to revise. Some might
find the fifth step dreadful, frightening,

hateful, taxing, unloved and unliked.
Many might find the fifth step

abhorrible instead of adorable. As a
matter of fact, as a non-scientific and

a non-existent poll, it was shown that
87% of the population thinks revision

is the worst. [audience laughter] 87% -
you can't argue non-science. And as

negative as that is, I'm here to testify
of the power of revision. And if you feel

hated feelings for step number five,
I hope you might consider revising

those feelings because revision is
understanding. It is long suffering.

It is inquisitive. It solves things.
It is the detective of writing.

It stands over the mangled paper
laying on the desk and says,

"Excuse me. Just one more question."
Revision is the good cop to our bad copy.

[audience laughter] Yeah. Why do we
write? To tell a story. To express a point.

To share an idea. Why do we revise?
To tell the best story. To properly

express, and to share the right idea.
I think as authors often we write

down words for the benefit of us,
but we revise for the benefit of others

because I believe or I submit that what
truly makes our ideas worth sharing

is revision. As a child, I used to imagine
what it might be like to grow up and

to become a writer. I thought maybe
I would write under a beautiful tree

on warm days in a lovely field.
Maybe I'd use one of those feathered

pens dipped in dark ink, and I would
scribble out perfect stories on the

first draft. But as as grown up author,
I rarely find myself in warm fields.

Instead I find myself in laboratories
and dungeons ripping out the guts

of my writing and stitching together
a proper creation. It's revise.

So, even I on certain days hate revision.
I'm human, and it needs to be loathed.

But it is important and neccessary.
Good ideas can get lost or become

hidden or never be discovered if they're
buried under the laziness and misconceptions

of a job well done. When in reality, it is
still a job just begun. Every author

I admire, every script I find genius,
every book that has ever changed my

life has been penned by an author
who had the intelligence to realize

their ideas deserve to be properly
revised. In fact, show me an author

who claims to never use revision
and I will show you an author whose

only genre is fiction. And on top of
that, they're probably not that good.

Yeah. You've written your idea down.
Fantastic. Now put it to work. Master

the magic of revision. Stand like a wizard
before your ideas. Remember that revision

has the possibility to turn your pens
and pencils into wands.

Don't be willy to add toad's breath
and newt liver if that's what it takes.

Take out the small mucks of mistakes
or the pockets of confusion. As you

brew your craft, cast a spell of correction
and clarity. Revision can take a weak

sentence, paragraph or paper and turn it
into something substantive. You spit

out your idea, but why settle for spittle
when you can huck something solid.

[laughter]

That doesn't really make sense, but
luckily, there are other people who

make much more sense then I do.
So, to quote all of my favorite

authors ever. Well, I must say my
favorite quote is to "Revise."

Yeah. So poignant. So moving.
Another quote that I like is by a man

by the name of William Hickson.
He was a man who lived and died

and then left this behind.

"If at first you don''t succeed,
try, try again."

Well, I might not have reached the
elite status of dead, but I'm hoping

to leave this behind.

"If at first you don't succeed,
revise, revise again."

Revision is multi-purpose.
Ladle it onto your toxin presentations.

Put it onto your stories and papers,
your programming and invention.

Let it swarm up around you and change
what you once written into something

much more than what it once was.
Revision - let it change your writing

into a movement and a feeling that
will change and help other people

revise their point of view. Is not
revision what we all need?

Aren't we as human beings always
seeking to revise what we see

and hear and feel. Life is revision.
Doesn't the written word deserve it's

share. In the words of Rodney King's
English teacher, "Can't we all just revise?"

[laughter]

Revision will help your writing to be
better, be complete, be great.

That reminds me of a story that I am
going to pretend like I just remember.

When I was a kid, in our house
we had this large fireplace. It was a huge

stone fireplace with a large opening
and a heavy, metal grate that you

could close to shut it off. But we never
shut that fireplace because we needed

to keep it open because we needed
to keep a fire going all winter long.

Well, one of the problems with having
to keep a fire going all winter long

is that you're going to need a lot of
logs. So, in the summer we would have

to stack and collect tons of wood,
and we didn't stack it by the house.

We stacked it down by the shed.
Big, huge, massive piles of logs -

just to make sure we'd have enough
wood; so, when winter came, we

could keep that fire going.
Well, when winter did arrive,

it was my and my brother's job to bring
those logs in, and we hated that job.

We hated that job because it was cold.
We hated that job because we had to

do it all the time. We hated that job
because the logs were heavy, but the

main reason we hated that job was
because of the bees. You see, in the

summer no sooner had we stacked
all those logs when thousands of bees

would swarm in and begin to make
hidden homes and hives all throughout

those dark spots between the logs.
So, when winter came and we had

to bring those logs in, we never knew
where the bees would be. And if we

grabbed the wrong logs and disturbed
some bees, bad things would happen.

I remember one time pulling some logs
and disturbing some bees, they chased

after me. I slipped and broke my collar
bone. Another time, my brother grabbed

some of the wrong logs, he fell, chipped
his front tooth and was stung like five times.

And another time I will never forget.
Well, it was a cold, dark afternoon.

And my mom and brothers and sisters
were inside on the couch keeping warm

in front of the fire, but they needed
more logs; so, they sent me out.

So, I walked down that path, got
a huge armful of logs, put a giant

log on top, and I carried them
all back to my house. And when I

got back to the house, I took that
big log off the top and I threw it

onto the already burning fire,
and instantly the flames came up

and it began to burn. And I set the
rest of the logs down next to the

fireplace, and I took off my gloves.
And I was warming myself up in

front of the fire while my mom
and brothers and sisters were all

sitting back on the couch. And while
I was warming myself up, we started

hear the weirdest, most uncomfortable
noise - like an angry monkey screaming.

And it stopped, and then it began again.
And now it was louder and more

piercing, and we couldn't figure out
where that sound was coming from.

And then we realized it was coming
from the fire, and there coming out

of a dark hole from that top log was
a trail of smokey bees. Their hive

had been inside the log, and when
I threw it onto the fire, it had

awakened them all. And as they
crawled out of that hole, they would

catch on fire and fly out into our
living room. So, we had a living room

filled with smoking, screaming, flaming
bees. [laughter] It was not hilarious.

It was horrible. And my mom and my
brothers and sisters were all screaming

at me "Close that grate! Close that grate!"
Because I could have slid that metal grate

closed and stopped any more bees from
coming out, but I couldn't do it. I froze.

I choked. And my mom and my brothers
and my sisters ran from the house screaming.

And my dad came running into the room
wondering what the heck was going on.

And he quickly assessed the situation
and closed that metal grate to stop any

more bees from coming out. And then
he stood there by me while the rest of

those bees that had already gotten out
fell to the floor in dead, little smokey piles.

And still to this day, I have mixed feelings
about bees. And maybe that story doesn't

fit perfectly right here, but it did contain
a bee grate, and that's what revision can

help you do. Yes. Be great. Yeah. Sure!
Our lives are filled with frightening things

like revision and bees, but if you remember
or if you choose to be wise, what I hope

you take from this is,
"Don't be afraid to revise."

If writing is a journey - and it is -
revision is the part in the story where

you meet up with the magical wizard.
It might seem gruff and kind of

frightening, but it holds the spell to
release the magic of your words.

So, be wise. Revise. In conclusion,
let me try this. I was born the son

of a noble fisherman. My mother
was under a spell equal to any

great queen or princess. My older
brother was a giant who towered

over everybody, and my two wicked
sisters, with the help of a stranger,

used to help cast spells to change my
appearance. Yeah, I like that better

than what I started with. I mean, it is
still not perfect, but thank goodness

for revision. Yeah. And all of this revising
only gets us closer to the most important

step in the writing process, and that
step, of course, is to finish.

So, on that note, I am done.
Thank you all very much.

[applause]