A re-read might be the
right path to find your story and fall in love with it all over again.
Many writers shudder at the very thought of revising their
novel. Others curse. But I’ve always enjoyed the revision process (don’t hate
me). I’ve found it’s where my best writing happens, because I know how my story
turned out and I have a much better understanding of who the characters are and
what they want and need to do.
Even if you’re a meticulous outliner, your final draft
rarely matches your original plan exactly. And if you’re a pantser or discovery
writer? Well, your manuscript may resemble your initial vision about as much as
a squirrel resembles a spaceship. Though honestly, that can happen to plotters,
too.
Because things change as we write. Motivations shift. New
ideas pop up halfway through and suddenly alter our understanding of the plot.
Characters do things we didn’t plan, and sometimes what sounded brilliant in
Chapter Eight feels like a complete mistake by Chapter Twenty.
The story you finish isn’t always the story you started.
I’ve had novels turn out pretty much like I envisioned them,
and others that went off the rails and barely resembled my original concept.
There’s no rhyme of reason to it—my process is the same, but every book wants
to be written differently.
The more we veer off our original path, the harder it can be
to remember what we actually wrote,
versus what we thought we wrote.
Which is why re-reading your draft before diving into major
revisions is a really great idea.
Why Re-Reading Leads
to an Easier (and Better) Revision
1. It Reveals Hidden Inconsistencies
Early scenes reflect early ideas, while later scenes reflect
the version of the story you discovered as you wrote it. Maybe you started the
protagonist’s arc with one emotional wound and ended up with another. Or
changed the villain’s motivation halfway through. Maybe you realized there was
an awesome character arc you hadn’t noticed before.
It also helps you catch the silly things, such as a
character’s name randomly changing (spelling or the whole name), the love
interest’s dog turning into a cat, and physically traits that don’t match from
chapter to chapter.
Re-reading lets you spot such disconnects so you can fix
them, delete them, or take advantage of the ones you like better.
(Here’s more with 5 Ways Repetition Is Hurting Your Novel)
2. It Reminds You What’s Already on the Page
If you’ve been working on the novel for a long time, it’s
easy to forget what you wrote. I like to start all revisions by doing an
editorial map and summarize what happens in every scene. This lets me verify
what’s actually in the story, and not
be misled by what I think I wrote,
and gives me a solid guide to the novel I can reference as I revise.
For pantsers and discovery writers, this can be a huge
benefit, since you’ll be able to “write” your outline and structure without it
messing up your drafting process. It’ll be easier to adjust anything that’s out
of alignment or didn’t hit the beats the way you want them to.
Re-reading also helps you rediscover moments of brilliance or repetition you might have missed.
(Here’s more with How to Create an Editorial Map)
3. It Reduces Revision Overload
Even for someone who loves revision, it can be a ton of
work. I get overwhelmed at least once in every pass. There are so many things to remember and track,
both on paper and in my head.
But when you “just read” your manuscript with fresh eyes,
you don’t have to deal with the entire thing yet. You’re reminding yourself
what’s there, getting a new sense of the story, and you don’t have to deal with
anything until you’re ready for it.
You also start tweaking (you’re a writer—you can’t help
yourself), rewording a sentence here, deleting an extra line there. By the time
you’ve finished the re-read, you’ve already done a light pass of line editing
without even realizing it. You ease yourself into the revision, and it won’t be
as hard to keep going.
Re-reading gives you time to make notes of what you want to
change and where your strong and weak areas are, so you can dive in with a plan and not get overwhelmed.
(Here’s more with How to Edit a Novel Without Feeling Overwhelmed)
4. It Rekindles Your Excitement
I’m usually sick of my novel by the time I’m done with it.
But even if you still love yours, by the time you hit the end of the draft,
odds are high you’re a bit burned out. But when you take a little time off,
then come back and read it again…
You laugh at your own jokes. Feel proud of your dialogue.
Realize the emotional moment you worried about actually lands and lands hard. You remember all the great bits
you wrote and you like them all—even
the ones that need a little extra attention.
Re-reading allows you to experience the book as a reader
instead of a writer, and that shift in mindset can help you fall in love with
your story again—and make it easier to spend another X months (or years)
working on it.
(Here’s more with 5 Reasons You’re Struggling with Your Revision (And How to Fix Them))
There’s something powerful about reading your own work. It reminds you what promises you made in the beginning, and whether or not you delivered on them in the end.
Sometimes, the best way to move forward is to remind yourself exactly where you’ve been.
Your first draft is like a trail through a forest. You might
have had a map when you started, but by the time you reach the end, chances are
you took a few unexpected turns. Re-reading allows you to retrace your steps,
find the right path forward, and figure out the best way to get your story
safely home.
And sometimes, when you pause and look back, you also
realize just how far you’ve come.
EXERCISE FOR YOU:
Set aside time to read your manuscript in large chunks (half in one day, half
the next if possible). As you read, keep notes on character motivations and
changes, timeline of major events, subplots that feel unfinished or
distracting, emotional beats and their payoff, promises made (and whether they’re
fulfilled). Highlight areas that feel “off,” even if you don’t know why. Flag
those for deeper revision later.
Do you re-read before
you revise, or dive right in and figure it out along the way?
A quick heads up! I’m talking more about revision during the Book Sales School Summit this Friday (June 13th). My session covers how to approach revision in three layers (story, structure, and line edits) along with how to spot weak stakes, fix pacing through structure, and avoid common traps like editing too early (and more). The summit is free for a limited time, but there’s an option to buy it to rewatch it. You can register here.
*Originally published August 2011. Last updated June 2025.
Need help revising? Get all three Fixing Your Revision Problems books in one omnibus!
This book contains Fixing Your Character & Point-of-View Problems, Fixing Your Plot & Story Structure Problems, and Fixing Your Setting & Description Problems--PLUS a BONUS workshop: How to Salvage Half-Finished Manuscripts.A strong story has many parts, and when one breaks down, the whole book can fail. Make sure your story is the best it can be to keep your readers hooked.
With clear and easy-to-understand examples, Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft Omnibus offers eleven self-guided workshops that target the common issues that make readers stop reading. It will help you:
- Flesh out weak characters and build strong character arcs
- Find the right amount of backstory to enhance, not bog down, your story
- Create unpredictable plots that keep readers guessing
- Develop compelling hooks to build tension in every scene
- Determine the right way to include information without infodumping
- Fix awkward stage direction and unclear character actions
Available in paperback and ebook formats.
Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.
When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.
What a great idea to read sections out of order. What you need is a fresh eye and that's probably a good way to refresh your own.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I enjoyed yesterday's Golden Oldie. I'm glad you took my suggestion!
Me too, thanks again :) A writer friend of mine shuffles her pages and edits them totally out of order. (I think it was agent Donald Maass who suggested that in one of his books). She swears by it. Says she catches things she never would have seen reading it right through. That should be next week's RWW!
ReplyDeleteThat out-of-order thing sounds good for copyedits.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to try it, except I'm still working on content edits. :-)
At any rate, I love rereading what I've already written every so often to make sure it's flowing right. It can help writer's block, too, when you have scenes or details that demand followup.
It's also one possible way to get you jazzed about a project you might be losing enthusiasm for.
ReplyDelete*nod*
Last week I had to polish up my MS for a full request (Yay!) and, though I was editing and not simply reading, I did have a chance to experience a large chunk of it in a short amount of time, more like a reader might. I was pleasantly surprised!