Having finished my copy edits last week, I am now in the homestretch of the publication process. And what have I learned from point A to point B–from the conception of idea to numerous revisions to final copy edits? That what I knew about revising and editing prior to writing this novel was squat.

To me, editing and revising amounted to the same thing: proofreading. Often I saw that something didn’t work, but I was at a loss at how to fix it. I may have realized certain characters and/or plot themes weren’t gelling, but correcting the issue usually amounted to expanding some chapters, deleting others. That kind of revising is certainly necessary, but there’s more. There’s a bigger picture of nuances (I know that’s a contradiction)–of words that change everything, of first and last sentences that tie everything together, of a timeline that’s just not working no matter how much head pounding you do.

My revising deficiency is not entirely my fault as I was only doing what I’ve been taught for years. Think back to the term papers, oral reports, and essays you did in public school or college. My teachers and professors always gave classes checklists that corresponded to a formula provided at the beginning of the writing assignment. Facts in order? Check. Sources cited? Check. Subject-verb agreement? Check. Coherence? Check. If we were stuck on where a point should go, we need only go back to numbered index cards and voila, problem solved.

When I taught English, I taught in the same way my professors did. When we were not doing creative writing (which was often as standardized test prep ruled the roost), out came the essay format and checklist. There was a concrete plan to follow, a formula of main idea+supporting sentences+closing sentence=paragraph. If I were to teach again, I would take all this one step further–test prep or not. I would have the students see their essays as more abstract items, try to find what’s missing beyond the checklist.

The following activities have helped me find the missing links in my writing and take the revision process to a new level, and I think they would work great in a classroom setting as well–especially since they utilize auditory, tactile, and visual cues.

1. Rip it up: When all else failed, I spread the pages of my novel in front of me and cut and pasted sections so that I could better visualize which paragraphs went together.

2. Use your voice: I read my pages aloud. This made awkward words/phrases really stand out. I was also able to find grammatical errors that eluded me before. An added tip–recording your text onto a tape recorder and then playing it back helps in finding a working cadence and seeing if the words come out in the tone you intended.

3. Pick a date: Timeline issues always seem to plague my writing. I now sit with a calender and mark off important dates in my novels. This way I can visually see how much time has elapsed from scene to scene, and if the story centers around holidays, by plotting on my real calender, I can make sure the scenes are progressing on a correct timeline.

4. Take notes: Totally back to basics here. If a character has a favorite outfit or shade of lipstick or uses a specific phrase, I jot down the details (including page numbers) on an index card or in a notebook. If I think I’m being repetitive or not sure of little details, I check back in my notes to save me the trouble of scrolling back and doing searches. This is also a great way to keep track of important scenes or clues relevant to the novel. In non-fiction, while this wouldn’t be very helpful in a short essay, I can see it working for a term paper, especially for students who like to write flowery sentences that they end up repeating.

5. Outline: I don’t outline before I write my novels, but it’s a must for revising. I go through each chapter and write a 1-2 sentence summary of each. Because I have always been a visual learner, this method works best for me when first identifying plot holes or stories that need to be cut or beefed up.

Related posts:

1. Connect with Margie Gelbwasser: Embracing Boys’ Creative Sides
2. Connect with Margie Gelbwasser: Getting Hooked
3. Connect with Margie Gelbwasser: Getting Unstuck
4. Connect with Margie Gelbwasser: Keeping Writing Fun
5. Connect With Margie Gelbwasser: Writing Outside The Box