The New Writer's Guide to Revising Fiction
About The Author:
From the time she was a child of eleven, writing her first novel between classes, Cady Hammer explored her world through her imagination. She was often teased for being in her own world, but never hesitated to invite others along on the adventure. As she grew older, Cady’s studies in history and anthropology set the stage for the detailed world-building that lets readers step into the story. Her stories explore the complexities of relationships crafted around the idea that love, friendship, and grief are interwoven.
Cady runs the internationally-read website, Fluff About Fantasy, a place for young writers to learn the genre-specific craft of writing fantasy and be inspired by what they can accomplish. You can also find Cady on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. Her latest novel, Chasing Fae, is now available on Amazon and Kobo.
As a new writer, I had no idea how to approach the novel revision process. I had only ever revised short stories and academic papers before. Revising a long-form piece was a much larger task that required more moving parts and careful observation.
I took to the Internet in search of revision advice, but to my surprise, there wasn’t much detailed information available for new authors to learn from. Through a few limited resources and a lot of effort, I managed to work out a fairly good procedure that I want to share with you today in the hopes of shedding some light on the revision process for new writers.
What Happens After the First Draft
Upon finishing your first draft, you have to set your manuscript aside. I know that may seem painful; trust me, I wasn’t a huge fan of the idea either. But it is a necessary step in your novel writing journey.
Because you’ve been working so long and hard on this draft, you need some time away from it to clearly understand the state it’s in. The minimum recommended time to spend away from your book is two weeks, though many authors prefer a month or more.
Regardless of the time frame you choose, taking a step back from your manuscript will allow you to approach it with fresh eyes to catch many more errors and plot holes. While you’re away from your novel, take some time for yourself. You finished a book! Celebrate!
Turning the First Draft Into a Second Draft
Once your self-imposed time away from your manuscript is finished, pull your first draft back out of the drawer or electronic folder you hid it in. Sit in your favorite chair and get ready to conduct a full, thorough read-through.
Many writers like to print their manuscripts and settle in with a pen and highlighter. Personally, I didn’t have enough ink in my printer to print 60,000 words worth of writing, so I opted to read on my computer and comment on the side. Either way will work fine.
Read your entire draft from start to finish with as few interruptions as possible. If you’re a slower reader, do your best to finish the book in a few days or sittings, as it’s important to keep the material fresh in your mind.
As you read, take revision notes in the margins of your draft. You’re looking for sizable changes: plot lines that don’t make sense, scenes that need more action or dialogue, or characters that need more life. Sometimes you may come up with a new idea for a scene or a chapter while reading. Go ahead and write that down as well.
If a smaller element catches your eye, such as a phrase that doesn’t quite work or a passage that would benefit from more world-building, you can make a note of that as well. But for the most part, focus on the big-picture changes you’d like to make to your book. Here are a few questions I like to ask myself while completing my first read-through:
Do these plot events seem logical? Would they really happen the way they do?
Does every plot event move the story forward?
Do the plot events fit together well? Are there any holes that need to be filled?
Is there enough conflict? Have I made the stakes clear enough and high enough?
Do my characters sound believable? Do they have distinct voices that don’t sound the same as every other character?
Are my characters’ motivations clear enough? Are they believable?
Are my secondary characters developed enough?
Where can I add more backstory to my characters? Do those backstories have any bearing on the plot?
Is there a strong sense of place? How can I make my world more alive for readers? How can I use more sensory images?
How is the pacing of the story? Is it too fast? Is it too slow? Does the story need more action, more description, etc?
When you finish reading, take stock of the notes you’ve made. Personally, I like to put them together into one document and organize them by type (e.g. plot, character, worldbuilding). This helps me see the major structural changes that need to be completed and which areas need the most work.
Finally, it’s time to begin writing again. You can work in any order you’d like. Some authors prefer to work chronologically while others like to tackle thematically (i.e. starting with character development, severe plot holes, etc). Take as much time as you need, but make sure you keep working. Don’t let yourself get distracted by other projects or smaller revisions.
What To Do With Subsequent Drafts
After your second draft is complete, I recommend seeking critical feedback from a reader. This should be an impartial reader who can give you an idea of where your book stands, particularly criticism about what needs work. If you have a friend who can help you, that’s great!
If not, there are often people in the writing community on social media who are willing to help out new writers. Personally, I would start on Twitter. Give this reader a reasonable time frame to read and respond, and give them a short list of things you’d like them to look for as they read. Listen to their feedback (the good and the bad) and take notes. Then implement these notes as needed in your third draft.
After that, the rest of your revision process depends on how you feel about the draft. I completed five drafts of my novel with a combination of personal read-throughs and beta reader read-throughs before I began querying literary agents.
How Do You Know When Your Book Is “Ready”?
One of the hardest parts of the revision process is knowing when to stop. If you’re always looking for things to fix, you can easily revise a single manuscript for years and years. I found that after the fifth draft, I couldn’t take my story any further on my own. I was nitpicking at descriptions and word choice, completing edits that didn’t actually move the story forward. That realization led me to seek a professional opinion so I could better understand where I stood in the literary world.
If you find yourself editing in too much detail, then it may be time to take a leap of faith and begin thinking about your publishing journey.
I hope that you found this guide to revisions helpful, writer. I wish you all the best of luck with your story. Happy revising!
