Back to Lu Chi’s Wen Fu: The Art of Writing
In Chapter VII. “The Key,” the last three stanzas are referring to searching out the best words and revising.
What wants to continue must not end;
what has been fully stated is itself a conclusion.
However each sentence branches and spreads,
it grows from a well-placed phrase.
Restrain verbosity, establish order;
otherwise, further and further revision. (lines 5-10)
The ideas in these stanzas are so important to completing a work. A writer seeks precision, to make the “well-placed phrase.” And when it is said well, the reader understands. The difficulty comes in deciding if what is written met the demand. I trust my instincts. I have been working on an anthology (which I have mentioned in prior posts) and have been going through each story. Two stories continue to make me hesitate to include them, so I finally pulled them out of the work. What is left is strong, but still in need of revision. And so, I am off to “further and further” revise.
