Step 9 to Building A Novel: Revision: Tackling Big Problems
Step 9: Major Renovations - Tackling Big Problems First
Now you’re staring at your list of problems and thinking, “My God, this is hopeless.” It’s not. I promise. What you need is a renovation strategy that addresses the foundation before you start picking the colors you want to paint the bedrooms.
Honestly, for me revision is where I have the most fun with writing. I mean, the discovery process in the first draft is exciting and often exhilarating when things come together and frustrating and worrying when they don’t.
But in revision you get to really dig into the manuscript and identify problems and fix those problems. You also get to refine ideas, scenes, characters that were a little blurry in the first draft. It’s a chance to bring your whole story into focus. Finally, you get to work on really making your sentences sharp and worthy of your story. Mark Twain said the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug. You get it. In revision, you get an opportunity that we don't always get in life: second, third, fourth chances.
For me, I revise two or three times and then go over a fourth time for grammar and polish. Each revision takes less time than the previous one for me.
***
The most common approach is to begin with the big problems and end with the small. Structure before scenes. Scenes before sentences. If you start polishing prose in a chapter you might end up cutting entirely, you’re wasting precious time and energy.
Big problems typically fall into a few categories. You need to address these in your first revision.
Structural Problems: Maybe your novel starts too slowly. Or the middle sags like a worn-out mattress. Or the ending comes out of nowhere. These are foundational issues that affect the entire book. Identify them and know that these will take some time to correct.
Character Arcs: Perhaps your protagonist doesn’t change meaningfully over the course of the story. Or their decisions don’t drive the plot. Or they’re simply not compelling enough to carry a novel. You’ve got to see this even if you love your characters. See them for who they are. If you find a weakness, find a way to improve it.
Plot Logic: The story might contain significant holes, contradictions, or a deus ex machina (those convenient coincidences that solve problems too easily).
Stakes and Tension: Maybe the conflict isn’t compelling enough, or the consequences of failure aren’t clear or meaningful.
Here’s how to tackle these big issues without getting overwhelmed:
Create a Revision Plan: List your major problems in order of priority. Structural issues usually come first because fixing them often solves character and plot problems automatically. Be specific about what needs fixing and why.
The Scene List: Create a simple list of every scene in your novel with a one-sentence description of what happens and why it matters. This bird’s-eye view makes structural problems more obvious. Too many scenes with the same purpose? A character who disappears for 100 pages? A subplot that goes nowhere? You’ll see it.
Do you have several scenes doing the same thing? Cut the redundancy. Your manuscript will be stronger.
The chapter-by-chapter outline: For more complex revisions, create a detailed outline of your existing manuscript. For each chapter, note the key events, character developments, reveals, and emotional beats. Then, create a parallel outline of how the revised version should look. This gives you a roadmap for reconstruction.
The Character Journey Map: For character problems, track your protagonist’s emotional state, beliefs, and goals at key points in the story. Where does their arc stall or contradict itself? Where do they need stronger reactions to events in the plot? This map highlights where character development needs work.
The “Why” Chain: For plot logic issues, create a chain of cause and effect. Each major event should have a clear cause (“This happened because...”) and consequence (“Which led to...”). Notice I wrote major events. Not every event needs a cause-and-effect chain, but your major ones do.
Targeted Rewrites: Instead of revising the entire manuscript at once, focus on specific sections that need major work. This will make your revision faster.
The “Zero Draft” Technique: For truly problematic sections, try rewriting them from scratch without looking at your first draft. You might try writing a few sentences to discover what you want to do in the scene. Then rewrite the scene.
The Cut-and-Keep File: Create a separate document for material you cut. Nothing is truly deleted—it’s just set aside. Sometimes this is a good way to allow you to cut without getting emotional about the loss. It’s not a loss. It’s just a relocation.
What about those sections you know need work but aren’t sure how to fix? Try these approaches:
The “What If?” Game: Brainstorm three radically different ways the section could play out. One may be right. If none is right, one might spark an idea.
The Purpose Test: Ask what this section needs to accomplish for the story. Is there a more effective, interesting way to achieve that purpose?
The Character-Driven Solution: When plot problems seem intractable, let character guide you. What would this specific character actually do in this situation, based on everything we know about them?
The Reader Question: What question does the reader have at this point in the story? What answer would be both satisfying and surprising?
The biggest challenge during major renovations is maintaining momentum. Revision can feel endless, especially when you’re restructuring significant portions of your novel. To avoid revision fatigue:
Set Concrete Goals: “Today I’ll rewrite the confrontation scene” is better than “Today I’ll work on the manuscript.”
Celebrate Milestones: Acknowledge progress when you solve a major problem. These victories fuel further work.
Remember, you don’t need to fix everything at once. The goal of this phase is to address the fundamental problems that would make more detailed revision pointless. Once your structure is solid, your characters consistent, and your plot logical, you’re ready for the comprehensive second revision.
Revision number one is still a bit messy, but it will clarify your story, especially for the discovery writer. This is where discovery writers often work out their story. Embrace that. The novel you end up with might be quite different from what you first imagined. That’s okay. In fact, it probably is you finding your best story.
Major renovations take courage. You might need to cut your favorite scenes, rewrite entire chapters, or even change your ending. Trust that these big changes will make your novel better.
I find that I do a lot of demolition and a lot of renovation in revision, especially in the first revision.
