Write It. Revise It. Leave It Alone.
OR
Rewriting Your Manuscript Without Committing Murder

By Cass Andre

I have never been more inspired as when I hear how many rewrites a classic or best selling author makes before their work is complete. And to think, I expected their books were produced in absolute perfection. Not so. Everyone must rewrite. Whether it's the entire book, one page, one paragraph, or one sentence, no story is written in stone the first time around. But how much is too much?

Ask yourself this:

Do you rewrite your entire manuscript for every suggestion you're given?

Do you line edit, yet again, based on a POV slip on page 302?

Have you spent more time "fixing" a manuscript than it took to write it?

If so, you may have committed murder. While rewrites are essential, there's also the danger of over-writing and overkill. My suggestion? Get away from the scene of the crime immediately. Find a new victim. Or better yet, write a new book.

There comes a point in every story where the book is as good as it's going to get before it starts taking the downward plunge. So, what suggestions do you use? What revisions are necessary?

Here's a few tips:

DO NOT make changes you do not agree with. If your critique partner has more experience or has been writing longer than you, that doesn't necessarily mean they're always right. If her suggestion is a "rule", check it out. Make sure you understand and agree before applying it to your work.

DO NOT revise because of a rejection letter. Especially if it's a form letter.

DO NOT revise because of low scores in a contest.

DO NOT revise because your mother thinks your heroine's name rhymes with the name of a girl she hated in high-school. In other words if we rewrite our manuscripts at the smallest criticism or recommendation, we'll work the life right out of them. Someone will always want something changed. Always.

DO get a critique partner.

DO get more than one critique partner. Ask one to focus on sentence structure and the nuts and bolts. Have another focus on the story and characters. (Note: This needn't be a writer. A reader who isn't afraid to voice what they *really* think will do just fine.)

DO revise to music (classical pieces, ballads, etc.). Mellow music will slow your reading pace during rewrites. It's hard to rush through a chapter when a slow tempo is playing in the background.

DO take every suggestion into account. Just as you have to sort through what you don't agree with, you also have to open yourself up to accepting suggestions. Most critiques are well-meaning. If your critique partner is good with pacing and advises you to quicken the pace in a scene, her advice will more than likely improve your work.

Here's a few more tips on how you can break down the chore of revisions by dividing your rewrites into two sections:

TECHNICAL REVISIONS:
This is punctuation, sentence structure, and techniques.

1) Spell check. We all know about this one. Use it.

2) Do a search for suggestions that have been made to you in the past.

Example: in one of my manuscripts it was pointed out that my characters lifted their gazes quite often. That's one of the first things I check for now.

3) Do a search for misused words that you tend to use and over look.

Example: "shined" instead of "shone", "it's" that should be "its".

4) Search for words that we all tend to use. Eliminate as many as possible.

Example: "was", adverbs (ly words), and "felt".

5) Read your manuscript out of order. When you're reading out of order you're not emotionally involved with the story. Therefore, it's easier to catch the little mistakes that usually slip by.

REVISING THE STORY AND CONTENT:
This is characterization, pacing, dialogue and all the things that manipulate a reader's emotions.

1) Do your first revision on the computer. At this point you're checking for everything that stops you from reading.

2) In the second revision, incorporate your critique partners suggestions. This is not a complete read-through. Skip straight to the pages their advice applies to.

3) Perfect your first three chapters. You're going to send these out while you finish polishing up your manuscript.

4) Print up a hard copy of the manuscript. You'll be amazed at everything you didn't catch on the screen. Many writers also like to read aloud. I do both.

5) The final read. On the computer, read the second to the last chapter first, and proceed backward to chapter one. After chapter one, read your final chapter. Reading this way you'll be amazed at how obvious the characters' growth is. Weak development will wave red flags and inconsistencies jump out at you.

All together you will have read your manuscript four times. But you've been thorough. You've touched on everything. Your book is done.

Write it. Revise it. Leave it alone.

Now when this masterpiece is requested it's ready to go out. You won't have to stop the process on your current work in progress to revise the requested one.

With every book we get better. Every sentence becomes stronger. Our characters grow deeper. We understand exactly what we're doing and when we're doing it. If you're on manuscript number five, and realize that you have a slew of know-how to add to number one, ask yourself: Is number one really worth saving? Can it be made better or will you be killing it? Or would it be more beneficial to take your knowledge, your growth, and apply it to a new work completely?

Yes, revisions are essential, but too many can lead to a manuscript's demise. Don't be guilty of this crime:-)

©2000, Cass Andre

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