David Madden: writers evolve their work by learning technique

Image from David Madden

David Madden places great importance on the ability of writers to identify and fix errors of technique in their own work. 

In his useful and practical book on self-editing for fiction writers, he states that a writer goes through four stages in the matter of revision. His own words on this matter are quoted below:

1. He makes a mistake, but fails to see it.

2. He makes a mistake, he sees it, but doesn't know how to fix it...hasn't learned enough about the techniques of fiction.

3. He makes a mistake, he sees it, he has learned how to fix it...but he just can't do it.

4. He makes a mistake, he sees it, he knows how to fix it, he fixes it...