Writing and rewriting are a constant search for what it is one is saying.

Updike made the remark while reflecting on revisions to his short story “A Sense of Shelter,” noting that revision isn’t only cutting material; it’s part of figuring out what the story is actually about and what the writer is truly expressing.

The line frames drafting and revising as a discovery process: you often don’t fully know your meaning at first, and rewriting helps clarify and refine what you’re really trying to communicate.

Writing and rewriting are a constant search for what it is one is saying.

Writing and rewriting are a constant search for what one is saying.

Writing and rewriting are a constant search for what you are trying to say.