Approaches for Revising Your Novel
You have completed writing a first draft of your novel, which is no easy feat! Now what?!
The good news: There is not just one way to approach revisions, but many. The bad news: With so many different approaches, it can be hard to know where to begin.
Regardless of where you start, you will likely want to do many “passes” through your novel, meaning you do many unique “passes” or close readings of your manuscript with one specific focus area in mind each time.
Revision Focus Areas:
Plot and Pacing: Do the plot points occur in the order in which you intended for them to occur? Is the cause and effect of different plot points clear on the page? How is the novel’s pacing? Does it lag in places? Is it rushed in other places?
Characters’ Emotional Arcs: You may want to read through your draft on separate passes,focusing each time on one character’s’ arc. This is especially true if your novel features multiple points of view (POV). How do your characters grow and change throughout the novel? What specific plot points or events demonstrate this growth?
Setting and Set Up: Is the setting—both physical and temporal—clearly established in each scene? If the same locations feature as backdrops in multiple scenes, do the layouts of the physical spaces make sense? (For example, does Clara enter the bathroom through the bedroom or through the hallway? And is this consistent throughout the novel?) Once you’ve nailed down the basics of setting, you should examine your setting for its dramatic potential. How can the space, objects within the space, time of day, or weather reflect or enhance the emotions in the scene?
Prose: This is what we often think of when we think of editing or revising, and it’s certainly important. How does your language—style, tone, word choice, sentence structure, flow—work throughout the novel? Is it consistent? Where is it strongest? How can you learn from what makes your writing unique and strong and apply that to the rest of your manuscript? For example, if you’re a humorous writer, what kind of jokes are your sharpest, and how can you sharpen jokes that are falling flat?
Read Aloud: You will definitely want to do a few out-loud readthroughs of your entire manuscript. This will help you identify choppy language, overused words, and plot holes.
Beta Readers: After you’ve done multiple passes and rounds of revisions, identify a few beta readers—trusted people who will read through your manuscript and give you honest, detailed feedback. This is a big ask, so be sure to acknowledge how much time goes into it and how grateful you are! And then, of course, return the favor when your writer friends ask you to be a beta reader in the future.
It’s important to know your novel and to know your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. For example, if your novel is meticulously plotted and your plot points follow a tight outline, you may need to dedicate less attention to plot, and more attention to the prose.
Hiring a writing coach can make the revision process much less daunting. Here at Second Draft Studio, your coach will read through your entire draft and offer specific suggestions, including line edits and a revision plan. Working with a coach can help you deepen your writing practice, hold yourself accountable, and identify next steps. To learn more about our services, email us at hi@seconddraftstudio.com.