Revise Your Story Into a Winner

This week let’s uncap our virtual red pens and talk about the final phase of story writing, and one of my favorites: revision.

Those of you who really want to win our First Chapter Contest, mark my words! The winner will be someone who takes revision seriously. Not only do we expect you to revise your story before submitting, but the beauty of our contests is that we offer the opportunity to revise after we provide feedback.

Revision burnishes a good story. It sticks out like a sore thumb—or in this case, a thumbs-up. In fact, most pros are never satisfied with their work: it can always be a little bit better.

While you’ll eventually have to click the send button, I've plundered some pearls from our Better Storytelling course that I guarantee will help you improve the quality of your work first.

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the revision process though, here are a few general pieces of advice that have worked well for me and other authors, and I know will work wonders for you.

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Take a break before revising

Don’t underestimate the value of stepping away from your work and then returning to it with a fresh eye. After a bit of space from your story, you may have an epiphany or two. I usually have mine in the shower. It’s a great place to clean up your prose.

But seriously, taking a break between writing and editing modes is incredibly helpful. Otherwise, you may be too close to the narrative to see what changes will serve you well. Now, the length of the break itself can vary; it could be a couple days for a short story, or weeks (or even months) for a novel. It’s entirely up to you. Come back when you feel refreshed and ready to dive in.

Leggo your ego

You’ve probably heard the phrase “Kill your darlings” (thank you, Stephen King!) as often as you’ve heard "Show, don’t tell,” and for good reason: ruthless honesty produces a better story.

Sometimes you may need to remove elements that aren’t working. This can mean words, sentences, even whole paragraphs that you’ve fallen in love with, but that aren’t really serving you well. I know this can be difficult. I often fall in love with my own writing. And, of course when this happens, I tend to make some bad decisions. Love impairs judgment. Editing can break your heart! Revising your novel or short story can be tough, but rest assured your piece will end up all the better for it.

The revision two-step

With both these points in mind, it’s time to revise. All editing is not created equal, however. There are four distinct types: big-picture (aka developmental) editing, copy editing, proofreading and formatting. We’ll focus on the first two for now.

1. Big-picture editing

Let’s take a step back and start with big-picture editing. This involves looking at your story as a whole, paying close attention to structure, organization, clarity and consistency. Easier said than done, I know. In a recent Bardsy poll, many respondents said big-picture editing was the hardest part of story writing.

Big-picture editing: 49%

Drafting: 29%

Prewriting: 14%

Copy editing: 8%

While it can be hard work, it shouldn’t feel impossible. Ask yourself if a reader would be invested in the characters, and if the narrative flows well. Inspect carefully for plot holes. Generally, make sure everything (and I mean everything) is purposeful.

2. Copy editing

When your big-picture editing is complete—and only when—break out that magnifying glass. Examine your grammar, style, repetition and word-level language use to ensure everything is in tip-top shape. Spelling errors, incorrect usage (spell check beware!) and awkward syntax too often disrupt the reading experience. Beyond mechanics, the words you use—and how you use them—also create the unique voice, mood and tone of your story. Quite simply, they have the power to sink it or elevate it.

Try reading your work aloud to see how it sounds. As you slow down and listen, you’ll be surprised how many mistakes, and opportunities for improvement, you catch. If you really have a cast-iron stomach, have someone else read your work aloud to you. And tell them to lay off the Daffy Duck impression. Seriously?!

A single story can go through dozens of revisions. The revision stage of writing takes time, so be patient with yourself and keep trucking along until your prose is as polished as possible. Then submit it to our First Chapter Contest here, or if you're already further down the line, contact your editor to tell them you've completed your revisions.