The number of people who are able to do something perfectly the first time—whether we’re talking about writing a book, playing a new sport, learning a musical instrument, or cooking a new recipe—is practically zero. No one is perfect, especially right out of the gate. There’s no reason to expect that your first draft will be perfect, either.
Revising and editing are integral parts of the writing process. Even if you go into your story with a clear outline and specific vision for how it will unfold, there’s always room for improvement on some level.
In this post, I’ll share my process for revising and editing my work as well as other tips that might help you get your work publication-ready.
What’s the Difference Between Revising and Editing?
To put it simply, revising refers to making macro changes to your writing, while editing is more about the fine details.
Revisions should change the reading experience in some way. This might mean structural changes to the plot or form, significant changes to your character’s motivations or intrinsic qualities, adjustments to the tone or voice, or even switching tenses or point of view. You should also address plot holes and strengthen thematic elements and foreshadowing to make sure your narrative has strong through-lines.
Editing is the process of going over your work with a fine toothed comb. During the editing phase, you might tweak word choice or sentence structure, look for minor inconsistencies, break up or combine paragraphs, or change small details about your characters.
How to Revise and Edit Your Writing Before Publication
Keep in mind that these tips are primarily based on my own process and what works for me. Your ideal revision process might look different, and that’s okay! The main thing is to be thorough, which might require you to use multiple approaches to reviewing your work.
First, the Zero Draft
I won’t get too much into the writing process here, since that’s not what this post is about, but in order for the rest of the steps to make sense, I think you need to know about bit about my initial writing process.
The initial idea for a story comes to me in a variety of ways, but most often there’s a theme or concept that I want to convey. Then I create characters who can embody that idea and shape a setting and a plot around them.
I often write several scenes by hand before I sit down at the computer as an initial exercise. Then I write a zero draft in Scrivener.
I tend to underwrite on this first draft, so it will be short and need some details to be filled in. This is where the revision process starts for me.
Structural Revisions
Once I have my zero draft, I go back to the beginning and start filling in the gaps. Sometimes I’ve left placeholders for areas I know will need more attention, and sometimes I discover entire scenes that need to be added or rewritten.
A lot of writing gets cut during this phase. Sometimes I rewrite it with a better version, sometimes I find that it’s not needed and scrap it entirely.
Just to really drive home how drastic the changes can be during the revision process, let me share some numbers with you. In my Scrivener file, I keep a folder for all of the scenes (and sometimes even paragraphs) that I cut. My most recent project, which is only in it’s second full draft, has 38,700 words in this folder.
My earlier project, which went through somewhere around seven full drafts, has over 88,000 words saved in this folder. That’s more words than what ended up in the final draft!
So, what “structural revisions” was I making that led to basically rewriting my entire project? Here are a couple examples of what you can look at during this phase:
- Plot: This is probably the main thing you’ll focus on when you first go back into your manuscript. Does your plot make sense? Are there plot holes you need to fill in? Did you get sidetracked with one or more subplots that need to be fleshed out, scaled back, or removed altogether? Does the plot support the overall themes and concepts that you want to present?
- Form: All stories may have a beginning, a middle, and an end, but not all stories are told sequentially. Is a chronological sequence the most effective structure for your story? Does your project weave together multiple timelines that need to be paced against each other?
- Point of View: Both of the longform projects I’ve worked on started out in third person, and I went back and changed both of them to first person. Figuring out your story’s narrative point of view at this stage is crucial.
- Character: Well-developed characters can make or break a story. You might have a clear picture in your head of who your protagonist is and what their motivations are, but you need to make sure that’s being portrayed on the page as well.
- Setting: Is the setting well-defined? Do you know the role that place plays in your story, and have you made that clear to your future readers?
These are just a few ideas—the possibilities are pretty much endless this early in the process. If you compare writing a novel to building a house, then you might say that the zero or first draft is laying the foundation. The revision process is the framing stage. The walls go up, the roof is laid, all the basics that a house needs to stay standing.
The Hard Copy Read
Once I’m feeling confident in my plot and my characters, I take my draft over to the office supply store on a USB drive and print it out.
Something about reading a story on paper instead of a screen gets me in the right mindset to think critically about it. Having my manuscript in a new format helps me see it with fresh eyes.
I’ll then go over the draft again with a red pen and make marginal notes about things I think could be improved. I still consider this part of the revision stage, but usually I’m not making drastic changes. It’s more about strengthening what’s already there.
Here are some examples of what I might look for during my hard copy read:
- Relationships Between Characters: Have I made the dynamics between my characters clear? Are their feelings about each other coming across?
- Backstory: Is there enough backstory for key characters that readers can understand their motivations, but aren’t bogged down with unnecessary details?
- Pacing: Is there anywhere that the plot drags? Do I get bored at any point while reading?
- Secondary Characters: Do the supporting characters feel distinct and well-developed? Do they have purpose in the story, and do they achieve that purpose?
- Composition: Is there a good balance between scene, summary, and dialogue? Are there scenes that should be summarized, or summaries that would be stronger if they were full scenes? Does the dialogue feel realistic?
Again, there are tons of possibilities here, these are just a few things that have stood out to me when reading through hard copy drafts.
One thing to note is that, ideally, this stage shouldn’t take very long. I’ve spent months or even years on structural revisions, but I try to get through the hard copy read in about the amount of time it would take me to read a novel of similar length (a week or so, usually) so that the experience is most like a reader’s would be. This makes it easier to spot issues, compared to letting the process drag.
Then, ideally, the changes needed only take a few weeks because all the major changes have already been completed at the structural revision stage. You can think of this part as adding the finishes to your house—paint goes on the walls, tile is laid, light fixtures are hung. All the stuff that can make the house feel unique and give it personality.
Feedback From Beta Readers
At this point, you’ll have spent a long time with your project. Possibly years. It’s time to bring in reinforcements who can look at your work without any previous experience with it.
I have a couple of writer friends who are willing to read my work and give me their feedback (and I always return the favor!). Once I have their notes, I head back to my draft to make any changes I think are necessary.
I can’t stress how crucial this step is to the process. Because you came up with your story in your head, there may be things that seem clear to you that aren’t translating on the page. The only way to spot these problem areas is for someone else to point them out to you.
This is your home inspection. Your readers will make sure your house is fit for habitation and ready for publication.
The Final Draft
Before you start sending your work out on submission, there’s one more step to take—the final edit. This is grammar and proofreading check. You’re dusting everything off and making sure it’s in tip-top shape before any editors or agents see it.
Giving your work a final polish before you send it out is vital. You only get one chance to make an impression on publishing professionals—don’t let a typo start you off on the wrong foot.
Conclusion
The revision and editing process can be daunting, but it’s crucial to a successful writing practice. Taking the time to revisit and refine your work makes it stronger and increases your chances of being picked up for publication.
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Featured Image Credit: Unsplash
Molly Tyler
Molly received her B.A. in English in 2016, and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing in 2019. She now works full time as a digital content marketer.