By CM Strawn 6-12-24

            There are as many articles about revision as there are writers – maybe more. Plentiful good advice abounds. I want to add my thoughts to all this sage advice, so here’s my half-a-cent worth:

Revision is necessary for fiction and non-fiction. Excellent non-fiction is a great story that captivates readers.

Revision is…

            According to the Webster’s College Dictionary, “To alter (something written or printed), in order to correct, improve, or update: to revise a manuscript.”

            The first draft is ugly, but that’s okay; everyone starts somewhere. The purpose of the first draft is to document the story. The first draft is the starting point, not the end. Revision is the process of knocking off the slag and bringing out the beauty of your writing. Without a first draft, there is no revision.

            The first draft is where you pour your thoughts and ideas onto the page as quickly as possible, especially for those who write by the seat of their pants or pantsers (you know who you are). In the absence of an outline, the first draft is where your story is recorded. If you don’t get it down quickly (pantsers), your story may get tangled up with unrelated thoughts and ideas. (But revision can fix that; it just takes longer.) Your first draft is going to be bad, but it’s a rough draft. It’s not supposed to be perfect. The only thing that matters is that you get your story ideas onto the page.

            The first draft is the drawing board for organizing your story and placing the right words in the right place. You are laying the foundation for the mental pictures you want to create in the reader’s mind. You want your reader to not simply understand but experience your words.

The first writing

            The first draft is the thinking-through process. In the first writing, as an idea takes shape and starts to jell, and words appear on the page, it is tempting to go back and fix what you’ve just written. Resist this temptation. If the first draft doesn’t get written because of endless rewriting as you go, your story is in peril of never getting finished. Get the first draft done – then revise.

            I have read that the greatest writers all start out with a first rough draft. Some have revealed that their first drafts are beyond ugly. But the magic happens when they begin revising. With the first draft in hand, they can then say what they really mean.

First revision

            After the first draft has been written, the real work begins. If possible, get away from the first draft for a day or a week. If a deadline is breathing down your neck, take an hour or two and do something else. It will be easier to fix problems with fresh eyes. Address the glaring problems first, then move sentences and paragraphs around until they feel natural. It may be necessary to delete words, sentences, paragraphs, or entire sections that are unnecessary and confuse the reader. This is the first revision.

Second revision

            Let the first revision sit for at least a day. If that’s not possible, take another break and come back to it. You may want to disassemble and then reassemble the piece so there is flow. It may take several readings to get the article just right. This second revision transforms the first into something easily read.

            It may take several readings and revisions to get to your happy place.

Make it shine

            Finally, carefully read through each sentence and paragraph, checking for typos, grammar, misspellings, and punctuation. For convenience, use the thesaurus and spell checker built into your word processor. Using a typing assistant will help smooth out any areas that seem to lag or cause the reader to pause and stumble. Grammarly, Lightkey, Sumit Soft, and Asutype (I am not affiliated with any of these typing assistants) are useful tools. Make sure everything moves naturally from beginning to end.

            The quality of the revision reflects the writer. The better the revision, the better the writer is viewed by the reader. Some readers will be put off when they see errors. In some cases, errors may discredit the writer’s credibility with the reader. In all cases, the reader is the deciding factor of the writer’s reliability.

Importance of revision

            Nothing is ready for public viewing before it has been revised and edited many times. (Four revisions is my minimum number.) Then, proofread for grammar and punctuation errors that have been missed. Before publishing, ask several people to read your piece to get their opinions. This is not always possible or practical, so you must rely on your own critical eye. Be ruthless with yourself.

            Extensive revising and editing may not be possible for bloggers in a rush to post one or more times per week. But nothing should be posted as a first draft—no matter how little time is available. Everything must be self-edited at least twice before publishing.

            This shouldn’t be a problem because the word count is low. We’re talking five hundred to a thousand words. It should be possible to revise, edit, and proofread that amount of words in two to three hours.

Final thoughts

            The first draft is the raw material for any piece of writing. It may feel right after it is initially penned, but a second look will reveal glaring problems that need correcting. Revision is about fixing these and many more problems.

            There are very few writers who submit their work after their first writing. In these rare cases, an outline is followed, and the writer is revising as they go. (These are plotters) This practice is very difficult and not recommended.

            Revision is the paint and polish of prose. It is where writing becomes compelling and is transformed into a page-turner, whether it is fiction or non-fiction. The written word reflects the writer. Present your best possible image by meticulously revising every draft.