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Joined: 3/29/2011
Posts: 43
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I've realized for the longest time, that I've been editing my mss wrong--if there's a wrong way. I always have done it by starting out small (passive words, repetition, unnecessary fluff), to the medium stuff like logic and then the bigger stuff like deleting scenes/chapters, removing characters.
I've recently learned at my writing group last month that it's reversed--big to small. Does anyone have any editing/revision tips for me? I've heard there's a two-week revision process that worked for paranormal romance author, Michelle Rowen--she mentioned it to me and one other Twitterer last year. I haven't tried it yet.
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Joined: 1/10/2012
Posts: 28
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My law scholl writing professor gave me the best advice to date. Start your secont draft from scratch - yep, on a pristine, blank page. Then import judiciously from the first draft. The underlying idea being that one uses the first draft to figure out what the story is about and what one is trying to say, then actually saying it in the second draft.
It was frightening and disheartening the first time, but I also saw that the second draft took much less time to write, was much cleaner, and did use quite a bit of the first draft, but in significantly different order. So now, I wouldn't do it any other way.
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Joined: 3/29/2011
Posts: 43
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That's interesting Maria.
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Joined: 4/30/2011
Posts: 662
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I can attest to Maria's advice. I do that. It works.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 244
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I use a very borderline OCD process of revisions. OCD in that I create a detailed outline to revise off of after I've written the first draft. I can't outline in the detail I do before I've written that first draft but afterward it becomes incredibly invaluable. I've blogged about it in great detail at my site www.stephanie-mcgee.com (The outlining link in the sidebar will take you to all the posts.)
Basically I use the outline to peel away the flesh of the manuscript so I just see the bones. I see what needs more setup, what can be tossed, what needs to move someplace else, and it really helps to make those big picture revisions more manageable. It is, I think, better to start with the big stuff. Why waste all that time eliminating repeating words or typos if the scene isn't going to make the cut?
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Joined: 3/16/2011
Posts: 279
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I'll second Maria's advice. I've done the complete rewrite during a second draft and it does come out a thousand times better. When you're revising an existing manuscript the chapters start to feel like a patchwork quilt. You make changes, add things, delete things and it doesn't flow well. Writing it from scratch gives you the opportunity to rework entire chapters to incorporate new ideas like they've been there the entire time.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 412
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I find that I do the small first, because once the small is cleaned up, once all the typo bugs are squashed and the grammatical errors fixed, it's a lot easier to determine what DOES or does NOT forward the story.
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Joined: 8/21/2011
Posts: 394
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I did the big stuff first - basically slashed away large chunks, sometimes whole chapters at a time. Then methodically eliminated characters from the entire book. After the major portions were removed, then I went through and cleaned it up with respect to hanging plot threads, etc. Then I worried about tightening it up with respect to the writing itself (repetition, crutch words, too many dialog tags, and so on). And, finally, basic grammar and spelling.
Then repeat. 
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Joined: 3/29/2011
Posts: 43
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Wow, thanks everyone for your responses. I might give it a go this winter/spring for my Julno/Nano 2011 mss somehow. I'll give it some thought.
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