"The second draft is on yellow paper, that's when I work on characterizations. The third is pink, I work on story motivations. Then blue, that's where I cut, cut, cut"
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Susann makes revision sound like a factory line, and that is exactly the point. The color-coded drafts turn the romantic myth of the inspired novelist into something closer to product development: distinct phases, controlled inputs, measurable outputs. It is a sly rebuke to the idea that popular fiction is dashed off on adrenaline and instinct. Her method insists that what reads like pure momentum is engineered.
The sequence matters. Yellow is for characterizations, placing people before plot mechanics; she’s telling you that even her big, brassy novels start with human legibility. Pink is for motivations, a subtler admission: melodrama only works when desire is internally coherent. Readers will follow outrageous turns if they believe the characters would actually make those choices. Then comes blue: “cut, cut, cut” is both craft credo and brand protection. Excess is the enemy of pace, and pace is Susann’s core promise to her audience.
In context, Susann wrote in a mid-century literary culture that often treated bestsellerdom as vulgarity and women’s commercial success as suspect. The meticulous system reads as a defense and a flex: she’s not merely confessing process; she’s asserting professionalism. There’s also a backstage glimpse of how mass-market storytelling is built to travel fast, hit hard, and leave no slack. The subtext is almost defiant: you can sneer at the gloss, but the gloss is work.
The sequence matters. Yellow is for characterizations, placing people before plot mechanics; she’s telling you that even her big, brassy novels start with human legibility. Pink is for motivations, a subtler admission: melodrama only works when desire is internally coherent. Readers will follow outrageous turns if they believe the characters would actually make those choices. Then comes blue: “cut, cut, cut” is both craft credo and brand protection. Excess is the enemy of pace, and pace is Susann’s core promise to her audience.
In context, Susann wrote in a mid-century literary culture that often treated bestsellerdom as vulgarity and women’s commercial success as suspect. The meticulous system reads as a defense and a flex: she’s not merely confessing process; she’s asserting professionalism. There’s also a backstage glimpse of how mass-market storytelling is built to travel fast, hit hard, and leave no slack. The subtext is almost defiant: you can sneer at the gloss, but the gloss is work.
Quote Details
| Topic | Writing |
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