It's my turn to start the blog chain, and my topic is one all writers have to face at some point.
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?
The question is a timely one for my crit partners and me as we're all doing revisions or waiting for revision notes on our manuscripts. The way I work, I generally revise as I'm writing. I like to produce as clean a draft as possible. That means I have a hard time turning off my internal editor and will write a chapter and revise it a bunch before it ever gets to my crit partners. Once my crit partners and betas send their notes back to me, I'll revise again. And again. Sometimes there will be a few more volleys back and forth between my crit partners and me before I'm ready to launch into revising for a final draft. I can't stand letting the manuscript lie if I know there's something that needs work.
Taking time away from a manuscript usually doesn't work well for me. It goes back to the "If it's broken, it has to be fixed," mentality. That said, taking time away and coming back to it really can do a world of good for a manuscript. The time away gives you new eyes, and revision really is to re-vision your work.
Make sure you check out what the lovely Laura has to say about revision tomorrow.
Yay! I'm the first to comment. At least, I think I am.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great topic. I completely understand the If it's broken, it has to be fixed mentality.
Good topic! I too try to make my drafts as clean as possible before sending them out to crit partners. I feel it's wasting their time otherwise.
ReplyDeleteI'm the opposite ;) I have to let my finished MS perculate for a bit before I can start stiring the pot again.
ReplyDeleteYikes, this is going to be a difficult question for me. Good thing I have lots of time to think about it, heh heh. Good thing you have your process nailed down though. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteGreat topic! How timely! I've spent the past seven months revising a WIP...but I'll 'splain more tomorrow! ;)
ReplyDeleteYou are a GREAT revisionist! I've learned a lot about being open to change from you and I have to say, your revise while revising technique leaves little room for critique! ;)
ReplyDeletegreat topic and very timely for me as well :) Of course, I always seem to be revising something so it's always timely LOL
ReplyDeleteGood one, Sarah - we should have a nice range of responses...
ReplyDeleteI write and revise at the same time. Just too itchy for grabbing the red pen. Great post!
ReplyDeleteLove this! I'll go into my process on my post, but yeah...revisions!~
ReplyDeleteWow, I've never been able to go the write and revise path because I become so hypercritical that I start hating everything and can't move forward. It would be nice though to reach the end and not have that "oh geez now where do I start fixing this mess?" feeling;)
ReplyDeleteI bet your drafts are crazy polished then! It would be hard for me to work that way because I'd never feel done. Is there a time when you feel you can let the manuscript rest?
ReplyDeleteI can't turn my internal editor off, either, but I find if I just rush through a scene, not a chapter, just to get it done, I can ignore the editor for a period of time. Just remind myself, you'll get your chance, just let it flow.
ReplyDeleteGood advice, thanks.