It may feel like all of the hard work is done when you finish the first draft but in reality, the hardest parts are yet to come! While your first draft can sometimes turn out pretty solid, it's most likely not where it needs to be for publication. So how do you go about revising? There isn't a catch-all to revising work because each person is different from their writing style to the way their brain approaches busy work. However these three tips may help you carve your path in a beneficial direction.
1. Edit First
Edit and plan
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This might seem like a no-brainer or you may be thinking, 'I thought we were revising!". However, doing a full read through for clarify helps a lot. Consider each sentence separately and then each paragraph together as you edit and you'll be able to quickly see how you can, for example, rearrange passive sentences and cut out extraneous words. If you're like me and edit while you write, sometimes you may think there's no way you could have missed those issues, however I've always found some that I missed. I always have sentences that I tried to spruce up but there ends up being no reason to not simply say that a chair is a chair, for example. Consider the intention behind the choices you make in your sentences. There's times to be descriptive because the language will set the tone but then there's times when the action is so intense, the flow shouldn't be interrupted. If you know what each of your writing choices are doing, you'll be able to make better editing choices, too.
2. Fill in the Blanks
Typing
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Strengthening character relationships is a great focus use to to dive into a revision draft. Now that the story is finished, consider going back to the first third of the draft and examining how what happens in the beginning leads to where the characters end up at the end, especially in regards to their relationships with one another. You may notice that you need to add more dialogue or alone scenes between two characters who are supposed to be in love by the end of the story. You might spot a great opportunity for a line that will foreshadow the later hate between two other characters. Often the story ends up writing itself in the first draft. Halfway through two characters are suddenly best friends and you may not have planned that beforehand. Revising for relationships is similar to going back over a finished artwork to polish up the details or adjust the brilliancy of some colors because other colors you added afterwards dulled them down. You'll likely find a lot of adjusting to do as you revise with this idea in mind. A story works a lot like the color wheel: some things compliment each other and feel like a natural progression, while other things will dull down or even cause chaos if added among the wrong situations.
Do Something Crazy
Thinking
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We've all looked at a creative piece and thought, "something is missing!". If you finish your revision and it still doesn't feel strong enough, try doing something crazy. Rewrite the story in a different tense. Change first person to third person. If you made a character's house decorate very eighties, try very fifties. You may find these types of changes are the extra punch or sparkle you were looking for, and if they aren't, it's likely the changes will point you toward the real thing missing. Remember doing something is better than doing nothing: even if you don't keep the tense rewrite, what it teaches you will still be better than if you settled and did nothing.
Even some very famous authors have completely rewritten their work and revised over eight times. If you find yourself revising multiple times, it means you're on the right track instead of doing something wrong. If re-approaching your work feels overwhelming, it's easy to apply Fill in the Blanks to any concept. Approach with one idea in mind such as revising for clarity, checking for plot holes, or seeking out repetitive words. Breaking down the process into bite-size focuses can help efficiency and mental stamina. Don't be afraid to experiment and don't feel bad about revising as many times as you need!
