Revision Shouldn’t Be Endless

For some writers, the word revision makes them squirm.

Many novice writers go into the writing process fantasizing that they will only have to write  one draft of their novel. Perhaps, they envision themselves sitting next to an open window, ocean breeze wafting gently through the fragrant air, sipping an exotic drink, while their muse easily supplies them with perfect sentences and a flawless plot.

Isn’t that how it works? Hardly.

Writing is work. Getting a first draft down on paper takes time, thought, energy, and persistence. But, once that first draft is finished, the real work begins.

Revising a manuscript can be grueling. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart. However, here are some tips when revising:

Print out your manuscript and read it as a hard copy. It’s easy to skip mistakes on a computer screen. On paper, with a pen in hand, it’s easier to spot misspellings, awkward sentences, and plot holes.

While reading your hard copy, be sure to mark it up. Rewrite sentences, cross out sections that don’t support your plot in some way, add in characterization, spice up the dialogue.

Revise the entire manuscript before making the changes on your computer file. You want to go through the whole story and make sure that it all works before you start making any changes. By the end of the process, you should barely recognize your manuscript.

Once you’ve completed this process, go back to your file and input all the corrections. Do not be tempted to make more corrections at this point. If you feel that you need to make some changes, go back to the hard copy and work them out on paper before you transcribe them to the computer.

You don’t have to make endless passes over your manuscript. Being a writer means you finish projects. You write a book and then you write another one and another one. Don’t waste time endlessly revising one manuscript. If you feel that you don’t know how to improve it anymore, think about hiring a professional editor with reputable references.

The point is, don’t spend the rest of your life revising a single maunscript. Write the first draft, go through it word by word making it the best you can, and then get it submitted. That’s how you become an author.