Self-Editing Using Hemmingway’s Iceberg Theory
If you want your writing to feel robust and focused, what you know should dwarf what ends in your book — by far.
Let’s look at the Iceberg Theory, a brainchild of Ernest Hemmingway, who first described it in 1932.
The Tip of Hemmingway’s Iceberg
What ends in your book is the tip of the iceberg; the bulk of knowledge that supports this tip stays underwater. The reader will feel it’s there but will not have to struggle through tedious explanations that weaken your story, rather than add to it.
How much is above the surface depends on your writing style. But in general, writers are more likely to include too much than too little. Hemmingway recommends removing all information that is not strictly necessary for the reader to follow the story. Even if, at times, you leave your reader guessing.
Hemmingway’s Iceberg Theory: Omit Only What You Know
As a writer, however, you should never be guessing. If you create a hole in the story, it must be deliberate — you as the writer need to know precisely what happens behind the scenes.
Never omit anything because you don’t know.
Therefore, it’s helpful to include the entire backstory in your first draft, to explain everything and provide “evidence.” While working on your second draft, you omit what doesn’t belong in the foreground. You can then paste all the superfluous information in your backstory documentation.
Elie Wiesel Confirms the Iceberg Theory
When I first took writing classes, I taped this Elie Wiesel quote to my toilet wall:
“There is a difference between a book of two hundred pages from the very beginning, and a book of two hundred pages which is the result of an original eight hundred pages. The six hundred are there. Only you don’t see them.”
If you want your writing to feel robust and focused, what you know should dwarf what ends in your book — by far. Let’s look at the Iceberg Theory, a brainchild of Ernest Hemmingway, who first described it in 1932. The Tip of Hemmingway’s Iceberg What ends in your book is the tip of the iceberg;…
