So many writers I know want to rush through their revisions. If they get feedback from an editor, they are determined to turn the manuscript around in two weeks, three at most. Me? I want to give myself time to internalize the feedback. I also enjoy seeing the manuscript change and grow. Why rush it?
In truth, writers really need to love revision. You rough out the manuscript once. Once you have a manuscript and have given it time to rest, you are ready to revise. And you aren’t going to do it in one draft. My process looks something like that.
- Horrible, scary, terrible, no-good first draft. Okay, maybe it isn’t that bad but I’m often just slapping it down at this stage. There are even gaps because I don’t take the time to look up missing information. I just type myself a note. FIND OUT WHEN THIS WAS AND WHO WAS THERE. Then I move on.
- During this draft, which is the first revision, I fill in gaps. I also look for things that need to be shifted from one spot to another.
- Are any sections slight? This is when I bulk them up. Not that I want them to feel bulky but there has to be enough information to justify a stand alone chapter or section.
- Can’t manage that? Then I combine sections or split something too dense in two. I’m looking to create balance in this draft.
- Now is when I smooth things out and check the reading level. Too high or too low? This is the time to make adjustments and make it flow.
- At last, I print it out and my husband reads it. Then I take care of any issues he spotted and do a hard copy rewrite. I always do one rewrite on paper because there are problems that I miss until I see them in print. This is also when I cut excess words. Again, I spot things on paper that I wouldn’t see on-screen.
That makes for six drafts total although sometimes I can do it in four. Either way, that’s one first draft and three to five revisions. You really need to love revision to make your writing work.
–SueBE
One Writer's Journey 