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You are here: Home / 30 DAYS OF WRITING ADVICE / Day 21 – 30 Days of Writing Advice – Revising Your First Draft

Day 21 – 30 Days of Writing Advice – Revising Your First Draft

April 21, 2019 5 Comments

 

DAY 21

This month of daily writing advice will include tidbits, tips, and sometimes tricks. This isn’t a replacement for editing or book coaching, it’s meant as a jumping off point for exploration and thought! I hope it helps! ~Amy

Amy xo

REVISING YOUR FIRST DRAFT

I write light. That means my very first drafts are scant, and I have to go back and fill them in. I think of it like a deflated balloon that I fill with its air — more words.

I wrote about that on Writer Unboxed, a long time ago. I don’t think I’d yet signed with my first agent!

https://writerunboxed.com/2010/10/24/what-color-is-your-balloon/

I sometimes think that REVISION is the wrong word to use when working on a first draft. For me, it’s REWRITING more so than revising. My finished novels change so much from start to finish, I’m rarely “simply” revising until I’ve rewritten the novel twice. Maybe three times. But that’s me!

Whenever you’re tackling you first draft revisions I’d recommend keeping a BIG PICTURE LIST nearby and going through the manuscript to layer in your changes one or two at a time, then go back to the beginning and starting again.  For example, if you want your protagonist to be more emotional, work on that throughout. Need more conflict? Do the same. Fresher dialogue? Yep. Stronger plot points? That too.

This method allows you to keep moving and make progress with fewer chances for stalling.

When it comes to revisions think DOMINOES.

With revisions, the more things change, the more they change.

SEE YOU TOMORROW!

Amy xo

 

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Filed Under: 30 DAYS OF WRITING ADVICE

Previous Post: « Day 20 – 30 Days of Writing Advice – Non-Linear Writing in Stories and in Practice
Next Post: Day 22 – 30 Days of Writing Advice – How Do You Research? Before, During, After? »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nita says

    April 21, 2019 at 10:09 am

    Keeping a Big Picture List nearby…excellent advice, thank you!

    Reply
    • Amy Sue Nathan says

      April 21, 2019 at 10:11 am

      🙂

      Reply
  2. Karen says

    April 21, 2019 at 11:21 am

    Amy,

    What do you mean by “dominoes”? Not sure I get the reference. I’m probably over thinking it!

    Reply
    • Amy Sue Nathan says

      April 21, 2019 at 2:38 pm

      Hi Karen,
      When you stand up dominoes and push one down, the rest follow. I think of revisions that way. Even the smallest change can affect everything else in the book. Make sense?
      Amy

      Reply
  3. Mayer Baker says

    April 22, 2019 at 11:51 am

    What GREAT advice! Thank you! (1st draft as a balloon to fill with air(words), Big Picture, Layering revision efforts) Much appreciated!
    (Sorry for so many exclamation points! 🙂

    Reply

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