How to Keep Revisions From Killing You

Writing is like driving in a convertible, with the top down on a gorgeously sunny day, singing along to the tunes blasting from the radio. 

Revising is creeping along in a snowstorm without snow tires, with visibility close to zero, knowing there's a thick layer of black ice that will send you spinning off into the ditch if you're not extra careful.

When I think about revising, I get nervous. I worry I'm going to rub the magic glow off my story when I think I'm polishing it to a high shine.

I do my best to avoid jumping into revisions right away. 

I prefer circling around, gathering my courage while I create a plan of attack. I start by analyzing each chapter to see if I accomplished what I wanted – and to see if things can be further developed or expanded. I almost always discover clues my pantser self left behind—something that blew out the window during the initial wild ride of drafting. It's like a treasure hunt, finding great little nuggets that make the story so much more than I'd hoped.

But I have to admit, revising has its terrifying moments, when it seems the more you fix, the less you accomplish. There's always that moment, like when you're packing to move an entire apartment, when you declare with supreme confidence, "There's not that much to do!" 

A couple hours later, you're on the floor, whimpering. How could you have been so delusional? There's actually fourteen times more to do than you estimated, because all the "clues" left behind during the writing phase have multiplied AND plot threads have tangled up into a big messy ball of confusion. 

Yes, at this point, it seems like your manuscript is sending you death threats, because the revising is determined to kill you.

So how do you get through those moments? 

The easiest thing, of course, is to give up, followed by whining, crying, and searching online to find a circus to join so you never have to hear the word "revision" again.

Since I know I'm not circus material, the best way to get through revisions is to make a workable plan. 

I prefer to think of this as a funnel, starting with the big stuff and working down to the smaller stuff. Kinda like going from "super-size" to "bite-size".

So if there's a scene that needs to be added, I do that first. It feels more like the glorious, freeform writing stage, which tricks my brain into thinking everything is going to be fun and games. It's like urging the family pet into the car to go to the vet, completely unaware it's coming back without its reproductive abilities. 

Once the big chunks are written and polished and inserted into their place in the manuscript, then I can go through and take care of specific trouble areas. These can be the "WTF?" questions asked by a beta reader or agent/editor, or they may be ones you notice yourself since you haven't read this masterpiece for a while.

It feels really good to check these off the To Do list, and it boosts your confidence to an incredible level. This is usually the stage when you think, "This revision is going so well, I'll have it done BEFORE my deadline". Remember this moment, because it's the last bit of happiness you will experience until you reach the very end of your journey. 

This is where the nitpicky detail work begins, and you'll feel like you are carving Mt. Rushmore with a dull butter knife. 

You'll be tired, and exhausted, and your brain will throw itself on the ground and have the most epic of temper tantrums, while you try to convince yourself the merciful thing to do is to just gloss over this part so you can stumble to the finish line.

But don't do that. Grit your teeth and keep putting one foot in the front of the other. 

~Go through your manuscript and rip out all those words you love so much that you play favorites with them, excluding other, stronger words. 

~Try not to create NEW favorite repeater words in the process. 

~See if you can replace a multitude of adverbs with more descriptive, concrete words. 

~Polish those opening and closing sentences in each chapter so that the book is unputdownable. 

~Use spellcheck one more time, and let the "Find" feature dredge up spacing mishaps.

Revising is delicate, detailed work. It requires patience, a steady hand, and tons of stamina. Once I realize it hasn't killed me, I take an amazed look at what I've accomplished. I'm thrilled at what a high-shine my manuscript has, holding my hand up to protect my corneas from such brilliance. 

Even better, I've learned so many new skills, the next revision process is a little more streamlined, as well as a little less menacing.

Since I'm in the midst of revising, I decided to rerun this post from last summer. Naturally I couldn't resist giving it a little nip and tuck first. Hope you enjoyed it.

Comments

[JennW]

hahha - i love the weather analogy about convertible sunny driving and the snowstorm. soooo true!!! I'm going to remember that one.:)

[Donna Cummings]

Jenn, I'm glad you liked it. :) Right now I wonder if I'll ever get to see sun again. I keep telling myself all this rain is not as bad as snow. Sigh.

Okay, back to these revisions. . .even though they've got that murderous gleam in their eyes. LOL

[Kari Marie]

This is so true! I loved the line "But I have to admit, revising has its terrifying moments, when it seems the more you fix, the less you accomplish."

I think I'm there right now! Thanks for the workable advice.

[Donna Cummings]

Kari Marie, I sympathize! It's frightening when it looks like your manuscript is scattered all over the floor, while you're frantically searching for the instruction sheet. LOL It does come back together, even if it doesn't seem like it will. :)