Sometimes it seems like getting a short story or other fiction on paper is the hardest part of creative writing, but very often it's not. Most of the time, it's difficult to revise one's creation. It's hard because when a writer has put all his efforts into that first draft and tried to make it perfect to begin with, it's not very easy for him to go back through his work and pick it apart.
It's necessary, though, if one wishes to find a home for his work or if he wants serious consideration. Below are some simple tips to manuscript revision.
Pick Up the Pace
Yes, it's difficult, but this is a helpful exercise. A writer can either go through her own manuscript or ask someone else to do it, asking the following questions:
- Are there any parts of the story that seem to drag?
- Any places where the reader loses interest or drifts off?
- Are there any areas that could stand to be "sped up"?
If the writer determines that there are, in fact, places that need to be sped up or cut, sometimes it can be done by condensing a paragraph into a sentence or changing a descriptive scene into one filled with snappy dialogue.
The Deadly Adverb
Noah Lukeman, in his book The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile, says that overuse of adverbs (and adjectives as well) can be a problem in writing. He recommends that authors go through their manuscripts, closely evaluating adverb use, before sending their manuscripts to publishers or agents.
In his book, Lukeman offers the following advice:
- Simply remove many of the adverbs in your manuscript.
- Use nouns and verbs that can stand on their own.
- Use a comparison, such as a metaphor, instead.
He says that the occasional adverb is okay, but "manuscripts heavy on . . . adverbs generally don't work."
Stop Telling and Start Showing
Many authors will go through their manuscripts only to find pages and scenes full of exposition, when instead their writing should be full of vivid imagery. If a writer finds potentially boring explanation instead of exciting scenes in sections of his manuscript, he can try asking himself the following questions while revising:
- What do I want the reader to see here? In this case, a picture (even if a written picture) is worth a thousand words.
- What are the sounds or smells a reader should experience?
- How do the characters feel? Specifically, how does their physical feeling reflect how they feel emotionally? (For example, "Jane shifted her weight from her left to her right foot" can communicate impatience.)
Many creative writing teachers urge their students to focus on "showing, not telling." This technique is an easy way to quickly improve one's manuscript.
Simple Revision Tips Can Easily Improve a Manuscript
While it might seem difficult at first, going through one's manuscript with these revision goals in mind can take a writer's work from rough draft to polished and publishable. It takes time and a careful eye but is a necessary part of creative writing.
Related articles:
Creative Writing Exercises to Inspire: When a Writer Has the Desire to Write but No Ideas
Getting Started With Creative Writing: Ideas for Imaginative Writing Inspiration
Routines and Location Can Help Creative Writers: How the Right Choices Help Inspire Imaginative Writing
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