Hemingway's Iceberg Theory: Why The Old Man and the Sea Took Decades to Write

Ernest Hemingway wrote in "Death in the Afternoon" (1932):

"Anything you know you can eliminate, provided you are writing truly, and the dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water."

This is the iceberg theory: seven-eighths remain below the surface, and that hidden portion gives weight and credibility to the text above the water.

How Was "The Old Man and the Sea" Written?

Hemingway carried this story with him for years. In 1936, he wrote a short report for Esquire magazine about a Cuban fisherman, and after that it took nearly two decades to bring the same episode to literary fruition. "The Old Man and the Sea" was written in Cuba in 1951 and published in 1952; it won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953, and Hemingway referenced it in his 1954 Nobel statement.

In letters and interviews, Hemingway said he had completely rewritten the manuscript multiple times — a method he himself called "working on the line." His famous example is "A Farewell to Arms": in an interview with The Paris Review (1958), he said he wrote the ending of that novel 39 times to find the right tone.

Three Practical Lessons from Hemingway's Method

1) "One True Sentence"

In "A Moveable Feast," Hemingway describes a scene where he sits in a café and tells himself: "Write one true sentence." Then he writes a simple sentence and sets off from that point. For anyone trapped by the blank page, this is the best remedy: start with one small, honest sentence, not with a complete outline of chapter one.

2) Omit What You Know Well

If you know about the sea, fishing, and the wounds on a fisherman's hands, you don't need to put it all on paper; it's enough that your choices show you know. The scene of Santiago's battle with the fish is narrated over 20 pages without distraction because all that "omitted knowledge" stands behind it.

3) Verbs and Nouns, Not Adjectives

Hemingway replaces decorative adjectives with short sentences, action verbs, and concrete nouns. Compare:

• Adjective-heavy: He looked at the sea with a very deep and heavy despair.
• Hemingway-esque: He looked at the sea. His hand did not let go of the net.

The second sentence, at half the length, delivers twice the information: despair (in the gaze) and persistence (in the hand).

The Extent of Rewriting: Let's Set Aside Misconceptions

"The Old Man and the Sea" shows that rewriting is neither a sign of weakness nor a formality. The final text is the product of dozens of re-readings; precisely what many novice writers shy away from, chasing instead the "first spark."

Write the first version for yourself; write the second version for the reader.

If you want your writing to carry that same iceberg force, keep the rule simple: write, then cut at least one-third of the volume and see how much better the text breathes.