How do you revise a novel? After finishing a draft, set it aside for a while and revise once your memory of it has faded, so you can read it objectively. Utsudo does at least two rounds before submitting or publishing: the first round is the hardest, handling the major changes and plot bugs; later rounds are easier, and the third is mostly about catching typos. Revising is tiring, but it’s the key to dramatically improving a work.

Translated from Utsudo’s original Chinese column.

As the title says, this is how I feel lately, trapped in revision hell.

Why let a draft rest before revising it?

Finishing a draft doesn’t mean the work is done. Next you need to set it aside for a while and revise it once your memory of it has blurred. That way you can catch bugs and typos from a more objective angle.

Recently I’ve had two important manuscripts to revise, each around 100,000 characters. Maybe because progress has been slow, I’ve been reading lots of BL to recharge—soothing both my aching neck and shoulders and my frazzled mood Orz

Everyone’s habits differ, though. I’ve met writers who happily start revising the moment they finish. I seriously suspect they’re masochists… ahem, I didn’t say anything. You must be seeing things.

Revision dramatically improves a work

Personally, I much prefer writing to revising.

But revision is the crucial step that lifts the quality of a whole work. Before submitting to a publisher, entering a contest or posting online, I always do at least two rounds; for contests or commercial manuscripts, three or more.

Even so, publishers sometimes still find small bugs and typos—you always have blind spots with your own writing. With a publisher that’s fine, because the editor helps proofread. But online there’s no such safety net, so readers occasionally point out my typos (covers face)

I think plenty of creators find revision a chore. The story has already ended with no suspense left; no matter how much you love it, it isn’t fresh after a few read-throughs. And you have to examine every single word, which takes a lot of time.

Neck pain and procrastination while revising

I used to be able to sit at my computer revising all day. Now I’m restless in every way, always wanting to get up and walk around or escape reality with a BL manga. Maybe my neck and shoulder pain has something to do with it—when it flares up I can’t sit still, and it’s really uncomfortable.

On a friend’s advice I tried a neck-and-shoulder yoga routine online. The first time it seemed to help a little, and I hope it will in the long run. Last time I saw a doctor, he said flatly, “You haven’t exercised in a long time, have you?” I had to admit it.

Since the pandemic began I haven’t gone out walking. It’s so hot and stuffy outside that power-walking in a mask is basically lung-capacity training. Too painful!

What do the first, second and third rounds fix?

Anyway, the first round of revision is the hardest. That’s usually where the main changes happen; if there’s a bug, you have to go back and fix things again and again. You also have to face the past self who typed while watching TV and produced some mysterious half-baked sentences. All I can do is repent and keep fixing—though I’m sure I’ll do it again once revision is over XD

To clarify, I don’t usually write while watching shows. I only do it when I’m irritated but the deadline is close—it’s a trick to fool myself into staying at the screen and typing. Good kids, don’t copy me ^.<

For all these reasons, the first round takes a lot of time to smooth out. The following rounds are much easier unless you discover another missed bug, and the third round is basically just catching typos your tired eyes missed.

Revision is hard work, and you have to resist the urge to start something new. But it’s an essential part of finishing a good work, and for a creator it’s a great chance to examine your own writing and gain experience. So you just have to be patient and do it.

So let’s keep going together.

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Further reading

• Previous: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #101: Do Novelists Always Get Good Grades in Chinese Class?
• Start from the beginning: Hey! I Heard You’re a Writer on Ghost Island #01: Utsudo’s Debut — A Road to the Dream Covered in Frost
• Utsudo’s books

About the author

Utsudo is a Taiwanese light novelist and novelist VTuber with more than ten years in the industry and 40 commercially published print books. Her novel 《遺失的情書》 received a 2022 Ministry of Culture youth creative award. The 《嘿！聽說妳在鬼島當作家》 series records her experiences as a novelist in Taiwan.