Revisions: How to Make Editing Your Work Less of a Chore
If you’ve found yourself looking for tips on how to work through revisions and you consider this part of the writing process quite daunting, I hope it is reassuring when I say you’re not alone in feeling like that—coming back to your work with a critical eye is an ongoing skill to develop. Aside from the fact that it’s difficult to look at your writing objectively, you might experience a lot of discouraging and self-sabotaging thoughts when you realise your drafts aren’t perfect.
To deal with the struggle of revising your own work, firstly you have to address what’s stressing you about this process. I have made a list of a few common reasons why I and other writers I know experience a love-hate relationship with editing our work, and I have included a few tips on how to make this less of a chore and more enjoyable.
FACING THE ‘MISTAKES’
Though I’ve always had an inclination towards writing and literature, I only started taking it seriously about five years ago. One of the first things I learned and found quite surprising was that the writers I admired also struggled to come up with ideas, images, plots, characters, and more, as much as those who were just walking on the path of expressing through written words. Yes, I was aware people edited their work or had editors do that for them, but I didn’t understand the importance of revising and how it’s actually such a wonderful tool for writers.
As much as many of us would love to easily come up with impressive texts, that is an unrealistic expectation and can put a lot of unnecessary pressure on you. Not even the most acclaimed writers can produce a masterpiece in one go. Writing doesn’t work that way, nor any form of artistic expression. Some people believe that the more editing goes into their writing, the less creative and personal their texts will be. But the act of revising is also a form of creativity—it’s still you, with your words, trying to create worlds your reader will later enjoy.
When you return to your drafts for revising, keep in mind that everything you see the need to change is not bad or wrong, it just requires polishing. By looking at your drafts with fresh eyes, you get to see what you need to change, add, cut, or rewrite completely. Don’t hesitate to ask a friend, family member or fellow writer friend to read your work—the feedback will most likely provide significant insights you might not have enough emotional distance to notice.
THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME
Am I a real writer? Am I good enough? Why do I write? What should I write about? But others are so much more interesting and clever than me.
I am yet to talk to a writer of any form, genre, or style, who hasn’t been haunted by the impostor syndrome. If you’re not familiar with the term, according to this article, ‘impostor syndrome refers to an internal experience of believing that you are not as competent as others perceive you to be. [...] To put it simply, imposter syndrome is the experience of feeling like a phony—you feel as though at any moment you are going to be found out as a fraud—like you don’t belong where you are, and you only got there through dumb luck.’
Sometimes, self-doubt can motivate you to do better, but if it gets to the point where it stops you from trying and appreciating your unique voice, that would most likely make writing really onerous. By learning about others’ ways of dealing with the fear of being a fraud, you will realise that this is a perfectly valid and normal feeling many of us have to face. Try to share your thoughts with those you trust and embrace their reassurance. Focus on your accomplishments and the appreciation you receive from those around you. Be introspective—look within yourself to find out why you’re not happy with your work and what needs fixing—but don’t let yourself overthink things. Trust your intuition. The best way to overcome impostor syndrome is to keep writing and developing your craft.
REVISING CAN BE A SLOW PROCESS
I’ve been attempting to revise and rewrite a few short stories for my first collection for almost a year now. Initially, when I started to understand that looking back on my work over and over again was going to be a slow process, I felt frustrated and tried to force the process and give myself specific deadlines which I didn’t manage to meet—and I only grew tense about the whole thing. Lately though, I’m trying not to concern myself with deadlines, and to take baby steps and focus on one story at a time. Some drafts might take a few days, other months. We all revise things differently and life circumstances play a big role in that. That’s absolutely fine. Once you find the balance that works for you, things will move at a faster pace.
As writers, we constantly read new work and find inspiration in things we didn’t know about last week, month, or year. It doesn’t mean what we’ve already written has to dramatically change because you found some technique or tool that works better for you—you can simply incorporate that in your revision process and make changes where you see fit. Don’t be too scrupulous about ruining things—keep the original draft saved separately, and compare your work before and after editing.
WHEN ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
So, you have the first draft of your collection of short stories/novel ready, and it’s been revised a few times by now. How do you know you’ve done enough? The answer isn’t straightforward—it’s all about being patient. Distancing yourself from your own work is vital. After you’ve spent the time you need away from your writing, you will have separated yourself from the writing you’ve produced, and that will allow you to clarify your thoughts on those parts that didn’t quite work.
No matter how much we revise what we put on page, there will always be something we might later consider ‘wrong’ and that’s absolutely fine. Writing is a skill that you’ll develop your entire life, and there’s nothing more satisfying than learning new ways of creating.
