Revision Resources — Sally Kilpatrick

References and Resources from Wrestling with Revision Workshop

My mantras

· Everyone makes mistakes. It’s okay.

· Your editors/agent/critique partner want you to have the best book possible.

· Even if the suggestion is wrong, the suggester was still taken out of the story for some reason. Stop and examine. Just in case.

· If you disagree with an editor’s feedback, offer an alternative solution.

· Revision is the crucible where we change our book and where our books change us.

· Mastering revision is not only what gets us published but also what keeps us published.

The Lingo

· Revision/Editing—often used interchangeably, these two terms refer to the general process of making a book better through tinkering with the text

· Developmental editing—the notes that an editor gives you about the story in general. Often, you are cleaning up timeline problems, tying up loose ends, beefing up a subplot, taking out a subplot, adding more scenes with a character, reducing the role of a character. Sometimes, you’ll be told to add or downplay the romance/mystery/drama/humor/you name it. These are the BIG changes.

· Copyediting—continuity, grammar, punctuation

· Proofreading/line edits/page proofs—last pass for typos

· Redrafting—starting from scratch in a new document

Before you write

· Scrivener

· Bullet Journal

· Dedicated spot for all your notes (could be in Scrivener)

· Blank calendar pages

First Pass (after you let it breathe (Developmental)

· Print your manuscript

· Keep a running list of things to change so you can keep reading all the way through

· Get as many eyeballs as you can