Revising Your Novel: A Step-by-Step Guide to Turning a Draft into a Story

Before you can revise, you need distance.

• What to do: Put your finished first draft in a drawer (or a folder on your computer) and do not look at it for at least 3-4 weeks. A month is even better.

• Why it’s crucial: This “fallow period” allows you to forget the story you intended to write and see the story you actually wrote. It is the only way to gain the objective perspective needed for a successful revision.

 Step 2: The First Read-Through (The “Reader” Pass)

After the rest period, your next step is to read your entire manuscript from beginning to end.

• What to do: Read it as quickly as possible, ideally in just one or two sittings. Do not stop to fix typos or tweak sentences.

• Your Goal: Your only goal during this pass is to experience the story as a reader would. Take high-level notes. Does the plot make sense? Are the characters’ motivations clear? Is the ending satisfying?

 Step 3: The “Macro” Edit (The Structural Overhaul)

This is the heart of the revision process. You are now working as a story architect, not a writer. Based on your notes from the reader pass, you will address the big-picture problems.

• Plot: Are there plot holes? Is the pacing too fast or too slow in certain sections? Is the climax powerful enough?

• Character: Are your characters’ arcs complete? Are their motivations believable? Is the protagonist active in driving the story forward?

• Point of View (POV): Is your POV consistent? Does it serve the story in the best possible way?

• The Reverse Outline: A powerful tool for this stage is to create a “reverse outline,” where you summarize what happens in each chapter of your existing draft. This can help you clearly see the structure of your story and identify where it goes off the rails.

Step 4: The “Micro” Edit (The Scene and Sentence Level)

Once you are happy with the overall structure, you can zoom in and start working on the prose itself.

• Scene by Scene: Go through your manuscript one scene at a time. Is each scene necessary? Does it move the story forward?

• Line by Line: Now you can focus on polishing your sentences. Strengthen your verbs, cut unnecessary adverbs, and read your dialogue aloud to ensure it sounds natural. This is the stage where you make your writing sing. The craft of self-editing is a deep subject, with many excellent guides available from resources like the Writer’s Digest.

 Step 5: Get Professional Feedback

After you have taken your revision as far as you can on your own, it is time to bring in a professional.

• Why it’s essential: A professional editor will see the problems you are still too close to see. They bring an expert, objective eye that is crucial for taking your book to a publishable level.

• Our book editing services provide this crucial developmental and line-level feedback. For authors who find this entire process overwhelming, our novel writing services can manage the writing and revision from the start.