August 4th, 2009 by Joe Nassise
Once you’ve gotten the first draft down on paper, its time for the hard work of revising your manuscript to begin. To be certain that I cover all the bases and don’t miss something important, I’ve put together a mini sort of checklist that I regularly work from. I thought I’d share some of the questions from that checklist with you today. I’m presenting them in no particular order…
Revisions Checklist
- Is the first paragraph interesting and engaging? Does it draw the reader in?
- Do the first few pages accurately portray the main character, the world the character inhabits, and the problem that the character is facing?
- Are all five senses utilized where and when its appropriate to do so?
- Does the setting of each scene add to its overall impact? (In other words, am I avoiding generic locales that do nothing to move the story forward?)
- Does each and every scene move the story forward in some fashion?
- Are the characters’ motivations interesting, believable, and realistic?
- Does the dialogue flow smoothly? Does it sound right when read aloud?
- Are there moments of rest between the moments of tension to give the reader a chance to relax from the high emotions of the story?
- Does each new moment of tension build on the one before it? Are the stakes higher at each new level?
- Can the main characters simply walk away from the problem or is there something at risk, forcing them to continue pushing forward?
- Are all of the major storylines wrapped up appropriately?
- Are all of the minor storylines wrapped up appropriately?
- Is there an emotional pay-off at the end of the story?
- Is there resolution for each of the main characters at the end of the story?
What are some of the questions you ask yourself when starting the revision process?
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What are some of the questions you ask yourself when starting the revision process?
“Why did I write such a crummy story?”
I’m kinda hard on myself.
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Hell, Rob, we ALL ask that – we just don’t admit it!
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During my final edit, which I don’t do until the book is finished, the first question for me is “Have I captured my vision well enough on the page for the reader to see it?” Every other editing question springs from that primary concern.
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I hold off on any editing until the book is done as well – keeps my creativity mode front and center and allows me to write much faster than if I was stopping to edit all the time.
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I always ask “Is this going to make sense to anyone but me?”
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That’s a good one – I like that.
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The first question I ask myself when I start to revise?
“OMG, could this suck any more than it already does??”
Seriously, I probably ‘ask’ myself most of the questions you have listed, but I don’t find myself doing it consciously. I read through and as I do, I revise those things that don’t flow, don’t make sense, tell too much instead of showing, and make sure there are no plot holes (I HATE plot holes!!) But it’s all one total effort which I really should try breaking down more, I think.
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Theo – a lot of my questions have become second nature for me too, but that is also the reason I keep my cheat sheet handy. By double checking against the sheet, I stop myself from assuming that I’ve corrected an issue and can verify that I actually have by looking at the list.