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Chief Gray
Joined: 27 Jun 2013
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Posted: Sun 16:53, 04 Aug 2013 Post subject: 32 PM ET Tweet More Email Print Novels |
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From 'Catch 18' to 'Catch 22,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych],' and Other Great Moments in Editing David Wanczyk Aug 22 2012, 2:32 PM ET Tweet More Email Print Novels, movies, cartoons, tattoos ... everything is better on the second draft. Simon & Schuster MORE FROM MENTAL FLOSS 13 Disturbing Works of Art How Movie Effects Fool Your Brain A Book With an Expiration Date In 1961, author Joseph Heller finally submitted his manuscript for Catch-18 to his editor, Robert Gottlieb. Although Heller had spent seven years perfecting the story, Gottlieb saw room for improvement. The editor taped the pages to his office wall and restructured the novel, giving more emphasis to the now-famous Major Major character and instructing Heller to delete entire 60-page sections. But most importantly, Gottlieb wanted to change the title.Earlier that year, writer Leon Uris had released a war novel called Mila 18, and Gottlieb didn't want any confusion between the two books. What followed was an exchange of frantic letters in which Heller and Gottlieb considered and rejected various numbers for the title. They decided 11 didn't work because of Ocean's 11; 14 was "an unfunny number;" and 26 just didn't feel right. "I've got it!" Gottlieb blurted out one night in a eureka moment. "It's Catch-22! It's funnier than 18." The edit stuck, and a major, major idiom was born.Sometimes the editing process is the make-or-break moment for a work of art. Below, relive seven other great moments in which editing saved the day. Please use a JavaScript-enabled device to view this slideshow A version of this post originally appeared on Mental Floss, an Atlantic partner site.
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