How I Revise My Novel In Three Simple Steps

The first draft of anything is shit. Ernest Hemingway said that. Not little old me.

Finishing your first draft is the first stage of writing a book. The real work begins at the revision stage. As Hemingway said, writing is rewriting.

Revision is a cumbersome process that has the potential to make any writer lose their mind. This is especially the case if you have a lengthy novel with over seventy thousand words.

But like most complex things, revision shouldn’t be a soul-sucking process if you break it into small manageable tasks. To keep me sane, I break down the revision process into three steps, and I work on one step at a time.

Before I dive into these steps, however, I’ll like to remind you to let your manuscript rest for a while once you finish your first draft. Don’t start revising the book as soon as it’s done.

I recommend at least two weeks away from your novel. I even forbid you from thinking about anything remotely related to your story. I take at least a month’s break away from my first draft to give me a fresh perspective. That way, it’s easier to find the mistakes.

You don’t have to stop writing while letting your story breathe. Use that time to work on something else. Write a short story, a novella, or perhaps another novel…