Writing Style and Revision Process of a Novelist Examined through Real-Time Creative Process Data

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the writing style and revision process of
a contemporary fiction writer from a cognitive science perspective. We focus on the
work of Mishima Prize winning author, Otaro Maijo. Using Type Trace, a text editor
devised by Dividual Inc., as an analysis tool for observing the writing process, we con-
sider features that have not been detected by creative experiment, protocol analysis or
manuscript research. Based on observations of Maijo’s writing process, firstly revisions
are categorized as additions, deletions, substitutions, distributions, or consolidations.
Secondly, revisions are further classified as “revisions at a generative point”, “revisions
in a generative sentence”, “revisions in a generative paragraph”, or “revisions beyond
the generative paragraph”, according to the remoteness of the revision from the point
of composition. The results reveal that revisions such as the substitution of words and
adjustments in sentence length were mostly performed together with text generation.
All revisions that were made after an interlude took the form of revisions far removed
from sentence generation. We find that Maijo’s writing style tends to be maintained
for several weeks to months and then changes substantially.