Monthly Archive for February, 2010

Step One:
Based on several blogs and articles I’ve read on revision, I’ve decided to attempt a 4 step process:

1) Correct grammar and awkward phrasing

2) Correct Plot/ Character Consistency

3) Check sentence length and subject placement

4) Final reread

Of course, these steps encompass much more than their brief description above indicates.

Some blogs make revision feel so overwhelming, unending, and impractical, that it’s no mystery why so many authors just give up or do a crappy job at revision. I liked Holly Lisle’s article about it, which was detailed enough to be realistic, but simple enough to keep my head from spinning. Another article I liked was Holt Uncensored’s post “The Ten Mistakes Writer’s Don’t See (But Can Easily Fix When They Do).” Of course, Mary Kole has volumes of great advice from her December “Revision-O-Rama” series. I definitely recommend reading any and every thing posted under her Revision category.

My first step is to read through the manuscript, fairly quickly, but thoroughly enough to catch most of the grammar and punctuation error errors. A lot of the time, I’m reading this outloud, or pretending to do so in my head so I can catch sentences that just don’t roll easily, or descriptions that are vague/over used.

To speed up step 2, as I read, I’m making a list of threads and elements that I like but maybe forgot to carry through to the end of the novel. I’m also finding good fodder for the subplots of my novel’s sequel, if I was to write one.

The other list I’m making is of all the characters introduced, along with the descriptions and histories I mention in the book. I know much more about my characters in my head than the audience does, and I think it’s good to make sure I know exactly how much I’ve revealed. This also helps check that the characters stay consistent to the end of the text, or have a valid reason for changing.