Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for April 27, 2021

“I have rewritten — often several times — every word I have ever published. My pencils outlast their erasers.” — Vladimir Nabokov

I never realized that Rat was a greater writer than Nabakov.

I’m thinking about “On the road” that Kerouac originally wrote on a single roll of paper whose sheets were joined by duct tape and whose content was written at his first thought.

But Rat isn’t Jack.

Rat will need the same amount of time to edit his writing as the prospective publishers will require to shred and torch the manuscript.

Is this another story about The Buttocks?

Rat’s a legend in his own mind.

I’ve actually done some editing. Commercial software manuals as well as fiction. And a bit of original writing as well (white papers). I have never even once found a perfectly written document, whether produced by me or others. As you may even have noticed here at GoComics, where it’s somewhat difficult to edit after you push the (Comment) button.

I found the best way to proofread is to paste the text into a text to voice program and listen to it as you read along. You pick up those doubled words and typos so much more easily.

Proofreading too…

I’d read it everyday!

I can’t see it but I would have expected Pastis to include text that would have been corrected if revised.

Boy, is he gonna be surprised.

I agree with Rat’s sentiment. Just the sentiment, not the fact.

Give it to Bollywood, Rat. They’ll love it.

Considering what a political statement the cartoon makes, it is quite amazing there aren’t any political comments yet. I wonder if it will remain that way. After all, no need for revision here.

Rat should just use Twitter.

He’ll get the standard Snoopy rejection letter:. “Dear Contributor:. Thank you for submitting your story to our magazine. To save time, we are enclosing two rejection slips, one for this story, and one for the.next story you send us.”

I wish Pastis would bring back ‘Angry Bob’ and ‘Danny Donkey’. I wonder if Rat ever published any of those stories.

He must use the “Grammacy” ? program corrects as you go!

‘A first sign of the beginning of understanding is the wish to die.’Goat.Also Kafka.

My first essay I had to write at university, I didn’t have a typewriter and I was very rusty at writing. I had been out of school for quite some time. I was up all night rewriting the essay the day before it was due. When I got the essay back, the instructor commented that I should never hand in the first draft.

Rat is already little. If he’s counting on getting published, he may be setting himself up to be sad.

On the other hand, just because he’s unpleasant and arrogant doesn’t mean he’s not a great writer. It may even be a plus.

Writing is rewriting.

Very Trumpian of him…..but a least Rat is not using a ghost writer

And then it will get rejected by every publishing company in the world.

Ernest Hemingway said the same thing. He just gave his scribbles to his secretary.

I think Rat’s editor will have the last laugh.

It takes me more time to edit a story than to write one.

Rat sounds like me before I got to middle school

Zeeba neighba gone to crocks, I think lol

My sent a mint exactly.

I took creative writing for two years in high school. The teacher ALWAYS said a big part of writing is re-writing. Rat never took such a class, did he?

I just finished a undergraduate core course that emphasized the importance of revising before turning in my final essay. This hurt me in my core, Rat. (downplaying the fact that I revised this comment three times before hitting [enter])

Rat sounds eerily like a certain failed former president, doesn’t he?

I really dislike the re-writing, editing part of writing

I had that same mentality when I entered Highschool. Then I had to right my first paper. My teacher told me after grading it that I need to proofread. Here I am almost done with my Freshman Year and I still barely do it. I get a lot of B’s and A’s.

I agree with Rat. However, a proof reading never hurt…..

It appears that PBS jumped the shark sometime last year

I don’t think editors or proofreaders exist any more. Some of the books, newspaper articles and online articles I’ve read have been just atrocious.

When I was teaching fiction writing for adults online, I’d always have one student who paid their tuiton just so I’d tell them how awesome their work was and they were God’s gift. Plus, maybe an introduction to an editor or agent. With a rare exception they were the worst student, and, even if they showed some talent, I knew they’d never make it as a pro with that attitude.

Sounds like someone who has never gotten top marks on writing assignments

Rat has all the unearned confidence of most self centered people…

Writing is easy. Editing sucks.

Kind of a depressing, unfunny strip today. Not usual at all. Something wrong, Steph?

I’d say Rat should work in comics but he’s too politically incorrect

Years ago, I finally realized a dream I had of writing something and getting paid for it. When the editor sent the pieces back with suggestions and/or corrections, I appreciated his input and agreed that they made it better. Any writer who wants to get published has to be able to suck it up and accept the fact that not everything he/she writes is perfect.

So this book is gonna go the same way his Dickie Cockroach book went. Rejected, rejected, rejected.

and Ellie Elephant

My mood when I finish writing. Soon followed by this whole thing is crap the next day.

Rat doesn’t write—he wrongs.

In the movie Amadeus, Mozart writes out his music right the first time, every time.

Sentimentally, I belong to Rat’s school of thought about my writing. Unfortunately, the Real World disagrees….

Humble, ain’t he?

I write a lot in my spare time, and I can verify that the first draft is a lot easier than revising in most cases. Both are necessary, though.

Ya know who Rat reminds me of?