How do you handle revisions? Do you revise as you're writing, or do you wait until you've gone through beta readers and crit partners to revise? How soon after you finish do you begin your revisions?
I use several stages of revision.
When I'm in first-draft mode, I write each day's text with the laptop lid lowered, using only lowercase letters and periods. (This is because if my inner editor can see what I just typed, she won't shut her yap.) When I finish for the day, I raise the lid and go through the text, fixing all the mechanics: spelling, punctuation, etc. This gives me the freedom to write-write-write, but still gives me a clean first draft.
Then I close the file, and its folder, and ignore the project for 4-6 weeks, on the advice of Stephen King, to whom I bow every morning and offer tiny gifts.
Four weeks later (I never last for six), I open the manuscript and read the whole thing through in one shot. This first pass gives me a birds-eye view of the crappiness of my first draft.
Then I print it, and read the hard copy aloud. This second pass reveals not just the crappiness, but also all my clunky sentences, questionable word choices, and dropped plot lines. I make notes in red regarding the problems.
On the third pass, I review the problem-notes to find solutions. I mark these on the hard copy--adding, deleting, and changing text. Then I make the changes in the digital file and label it second draft.
When I'm satisfied it won't give them hives, I beg some beta readers to read the manuscript. I ask for constructive feedback. I offer chocolate.
The third draft means addressing the issues uncovered (and pointed and laughed at) by the betas. Only when this draft is complete am I comfortable sending a project to my agent.
This, of course, describes the best-case scenario. Sometimes, despite all efforts, the inner editor won't shut up. Sometimes I don't have paper or ink to print the hard-copy draft. Sometimes the beta readers are busy and I have to trust my own judgement on the third draft, or send it to Super-Agent Chris for his feedback.
And revisions don't stop there, do they? I've also done guided revision with Chris before sending a project on submission, and I'm preparing to revise a project now based on editorial feedback. If I had to guess how many drafts BRIAR-BOUND has seen, it'd be around 10 or 11 so far, with several to go.
If you missed it, check out Cole's answer before mine, then head over to Kate's place tomorrow to see how she handles revisions.
11 ate pie:
Oh girl, I'm right there with ya. I think KATANA went through a dozen rewrites as well.
I love your lid-lowered writing technique. I'll have to give that a go myself!
You system sounds like a good exercise in patience as well! Especially the lid lowering technique. I'd die! I think I'd feel like I was trying to something from, well, myself! AHHHH!
The lid-lowering technique sounds interesting, though I think I'd prove what a bad typist I can be. ;) Sounds like you have a good method for getting from first to second draft, though!
You have such a system! I'm in awe! I edit as I go and usually do a couple reads at the end--sometimes more. I'm a big believer in the rhythm of words. If it doesn't sound right to me, the person who wrote it, it won't sound right to a reader! :)
xoxo -- Hilary
Wow, I wish I could do that. I have to be able to see what I'm writing. It has something to do with the rhythm of my sentences.
Keep it up :)
Cole - worked for KATANA!
Amanda - it's about making the process less overwhelming. :)
Sandra - I keep the lid just low enough I can't see the screen but can still see my hands. Not quite a touch-typist.
Hilary - it's straight out of Stephen King's ON WRITING. When I read it, I decided to try the process, and it's worked so far...
Shaun - I get hung up on word choice; I'd rather fix that in the read-aloud.
Wow, the laptop lid down method is really interesting - I have never heard that before. I would just be afraid that my typing would go so off the rails that I might not totally understand what exactly it was that I was trying to say.
LOL. I'm picturing myself writing an entire day with the laptop screen lowered, and then discovering several weeks later that I'd had my fingers in the wrong position when I started writing.
But that's just something I would do. :-)
This is an interesting revision process.
Oooh, nice process! I WISH I could let a MS sit for four weeks...gotta work on that one!
Fantastic post! You sound like you have a method that works really well for you, and I seriously need to try lowering my laptop lid. That might help me a lot when it comes to muzzling my internal editor.
Kate & Kat - I lower the lid just far enough that I can't read the screen. I can still see my fingers - I'm not a touch typist!
Laura - Sometimes I take that time to catch up on reading, and that helps distract me.
Sarah - it works for me. It may evolve as I move forward. To each their own!
Post a Comment