Writers of any genre know the blessing and horrors of revision. As a fiction writer currently in the thick of round two, I know the struggles only too well. I might revise a chapter in a day and then be stuck on one scene for five. It’s frustrating. It’s a miracle. It’s a pain in the a$$. For those of you facing revisions in your imminent future, here are some phases you may run into.
The World Building and Diagrams Phase
If you’re a fantasy writer like I am, having a comprehensive understanding of your world is a must. If you already know what it looks like after draft one, you’re ahead of the game. If you’re like me and was just focused on reaching the end, maps and diagrams are your best friend. They may even entertain you. So get those pencils out and start figuring things out.
Diagram for the novel “Broken Crown.” Photo by Lauren Stretar.
Map for the novel “Broken Crown”. Photo by Lauren Stretar
The Backstories Phase
Now that you’ve reached the end of draft one and learned how your characters interact both with each other and the plot, you get to dig into them even more. You may even realize you never gave any parents… Anyways, go spend some time with your characters, figure out their backstories, find out what makes them tick, and then use that in your second draft.
A text to my friend after realizing I never gave my characters parents.
The “you say something here, but I don’t know what it is” phase
The worst thing is when you’re in the middle of an important plot scene and you can’t figure out what someone is supposed to say. You know they say something, and you know the response to what is said, you just don’t know what it is. You may or may not skip this phase. If you run into it, put in a placeholder and keep going. (Just don’t forget about it…)
Except from “Broken Crown.” Photo by Lauren Stretar.
The “I forgot you died here” phase
I know I said the last phase was the worst, but there is nothing worse than being played by yourself and forgetting a character dies in the scene you’re revising. Not that I’m speaking from personal experience or anything… However, the good thing about this is you get to read the scene with fresh eyes and see what works. The bad thing is you get to make yourself sad all over again.
A text to my friend after forgetting I killed a character.
There are so many more parts to revising that I haven’t touched, but I hope these give you a heads up or at least a chuckle. Revising is hard work, but it’s worth it. In the end, all the pain works to make your manuscript something to be proud of.