“Unlocking” Writers’ Intentions

As we mark springtime’s arrival in Massachusetts, I recall author Kurt Vonnegut’s notion of six seasons in New England, rather than four, broken up into two-month increments:

• Winter, January and February
• Unlocking, March and April
• Spring, May and June
• Summer, July and August
• Autumn, September and October
• Locking, November and December

Reminding myself we are in the midst of the Unlocking season helpfully changes my perspective on the year. I feel less dismayed by March and April snowstorms, and more attentive to the first trills of birdsong and glimpses of new buds.

Putting on my editorial hat, I find writerly lessons in Vonnegut’s reflection on the seasons, as well—first and foremost the need for patience. As I often told my students at Simmons University, good writing is rewriting. First drafts are almost never clear or polished enough to convey a writer’s full intention to a range of readers, and patience and faith in the revision process are crucial to avoiding frustration.

Another lesson that might be applied to writing resides in how Vonnegut’s clever structural change to the calendar shifts my perspective. Similarly, restructuring a manuscript can create new emphasis in a piece of writing, and slightly revising a passage can ease a trouble spot. Sound editorial guidance prompts wise revisions, such as shifting focus from a foregrounded passage that might distract readers from the author’s intended point, or choosing more precise or appropriate word choices so as to better reflect the author’s voice.

Of course, sometimes it’s difficult for writers to receive feedback. “But that’s not what I meant...” they might say, or, “Why would anyone think that?” Typically, however, they are grateful to see their manuscripts through another’s eyes so they can revise their work and better deliver their intended meaning. “Yes! That’s what I meant!” a writer might say in response to an edit they accept, or “That change will help my family better understand what I was thinking.”

Perhaps especially in the case of memoirs, we read and write to connect with each other, in all seasons of life. At its best, editorial work can help writers give readers the keys to unlock a text, even as readers bring their own experiences to bear upon the written word.

Megan St. Marie

President