PolyProse

The first draft is a wild beast that every writer must tame. It moves like scared cattle and circles like sharks in red water. Even after every scene and chapter sits in its correct place, you might wonder if you have forgotten something. Below is a list of actionable steps to tighten your draft.

I. Introduction: Embracing the Revision Journey

• A. The First Draft Reality:
  • The first draft is raw, often a “brain dump.” The dialogue may be choppy, inhuman, or awkward. Drafting is a messy process; accept it. 
• B. Why Self-Revision Matters:
  • Revision is not just about correcting mistakes; it’s about strengthening your work. It serves as the bridge between poorly executed ideas and polished communication. The revision process refines your message and enhances the narrative flow.
• C. Introducing Your Secret Weapon: The Self-Revision Checklist:
  • This self-revision checklist is something you file into your writing toolkit as referential material.

II. The Ultimate Self-Revision Checklist

We are starting with the “big picture” items and then decreasing the scope to pinpoint revisions that borders line editing. It is most manageable to begin the revision process with a large paintbrush to quickly color your canvas before detailing highlights with fine-tipped brushes. 

• A. Big Picture Brilliance: Assessing the Foundation
  • Check 1: Clarity of Purpose: What is the core messaging of your story, and is it clear?
    • What is the central theme, conflict, dramatic question, or driving force?
      • Example: In a mystery novel, the core conflict might be, “The detective must uncover the truth about the murder.“ The overarching theme could be, “Is murder ever justifiable?”
  • Check 2: Know Your Audience: Who are you writing for? Is the tone and language appropriate for them?
    • Account for the expectations of your intended audience and the genre conventions of your work.
      • Example: A young adult fantasy novel will differ from adult erotica in content, structure, language, and tone.
  • Check 3: Structural Soundness: Are your ideas, plot points, and arcs organized with smooth transitions?
    • Is the plot structured: exposition, rising action, climax, resolution, act structure, scene transitions? Are plot beats in the correct places? Is the pacing effective? Are the chapters or sections organized?
      • Example: A novel following a three-act structure will have plot beats at different points than a four-act structure.

• B. Content That Connects: Developing Your Ideas
  • Check 4: Action and Rationale: Do character actions follow an internal logic?
    • Are the characters’ actions and motivations believable and consistent? How immersive and logical is world-building? Does the setting’s description evoke strong imagery? Is the dialogue realistic?
      • Example: A character in a novel who has been against murder would not suddenly kill a shopkeeper who didn’t have the cheese they liked. The actions don’t follow the character setup. Stark change requires powerful persuasion.
  • Check 5: Addressing All Angles (If Applicable): Have you considered and addressed counterarguments or alternative interpretations of your writing?
    • Have you explored the complexities of your characters and themes?
      • Example: A novel exploring themes of good and evil may emphasize the nuances of moral ambiguity instead of presenting a simplistic view.

• Check 6: Completeness Check: Have you covered all necessary aspects of your topic or story?
  • Are there any plot holes or unresolved storylines? Are all main characters fully developed?
    • Example: A mystery novel must account for all clues, and its ending should resolve all questions raised in the narrative.
• Check 7: Relevance Radar: Is every aspect of information relevant to your story?
  • Does every scene, chapter, or line of dialogue contribute to the overall narrative?
    • Example: if the main character must slay a dragon, it would be a waste of time if he spent two chapters learning how to fight sandworms that never appear in the novel, didn’t show the audience anything important about this character, or didn’t help him fight the dragon in the end. 

• C. Clarity and Conciseness: Saying More with Less
  • Check 8: Word-Wise Choices: Are your words precise and impactful?
    • Avoid purple prose and unnecessary exposition in dialogue. Is the dialogue concise and natural?
      • Example: Instead of “Mike walked really slowly through the dark forest,“ you could write, “Mike crept through the shadowy woods.“ And avoid dialogue like, “As you know, Mike, since we have spoken about this topic at length, the elves were outlawed from this kingdom 3000 years ago because of an ancient pact written by…”
  • Check 9: Sentence Structure Sanity: Are sentences clear, varied, and free of awkward phrasing?
    • Does the sentence structure enhance or detract from the impact and intended meaning?
      • Example: Extremely long and technical sentences in a fight scene may decrease urgency and make the battle feel stale or boring.
  • Check 10: Banishing Redundancy: Have you eliminated unnecessary redundancy?
    • Have you avoided repetitive descriptions, phrases, dialogue tags, or character actions?
      • Example: Most writers, if not everyone, have crutches that they use. They consistently use similar words to describe their main character’s eyes. Sometimes, without intention, every character rolls their eyes after every response.
  • Check 11: The Power of Brevity: Can you trim any scenes of your work without losing impact?
    • Dialogue may go on for too long, descriptions may drag on, or prose may juggle an idea for too long, sacrificing clarity.
      • Example: “He opened the door and walked into the room“ could be shortened to “He entered the room,“ or in cases of dialogue, “Well, in truth, I’m really emotionally hurt right now. Your actions caused me pain.” can be shortened to, “Honestly, what you did hurt me.” 

• D. Tone and Style: Finding Your Voice
  • Check 12: Voice Adjustments: Is your tone consistent throughout the piece?
    • Are the narrative voice, dialogue, and action consciously tailored?
      • Example: A lighthearted comedy would feel very strange if suddenly, the story shifted into a grimdark tone. However, switching tones can be intriguing, like in “Kevin Can F**k Himself.”
  • Check 13: Audience-Appropriate Style: Does your style align with your genre and audience expectations?
    • Does the form of your prose match its function?
      • Example: A formal, academic style could be inappropriate for a child’s picture book.
  • Check 14: Letting Your Voice Shine: Does your unique perspective come through?
    • Does your voice color the story?
      • Example: You may have a humorous tone, but how do you stand apart?
  • Check 15: Engagement Factor: Is the writing captivating?
    • Do the narrative, dialogue, and action keep the audience engaged and invested?
      • Example: Is the plot interesting, and do the prose or scenes interest the audience?

• E. Polishing the Prose: Mechanics Matter

I wouldn’t recommend worrying about this too much on your first or second draft. The following steps are primarily for people who have begun line-editing before contacting a professional editor. 

• Check 16: Grammar Guardian: Have you checked for grammatical errors?
  • Subject-Verb Agreement
  • Pronoun Agreement
  • Verb Tense Consistency
• Check 17: Spelling Sleuth: Have you carefully proofread?
  • Commonly Confused Words
  • Typos
• Check 18: Punctuation Power: Is your punctuation correct and enhancing clarity?
  • Commas
  • Apostrophes
  • Semicolons
  • Colons
  • Quotation Marks
• Check 19: Passive Voice: Have you minimized the use of passive voice?
  • Example: “The grading was done by the teacher“ (passive) versus “The teacher did the grading” (active).
• Check 20: Sentence Structure: Are sentences structured correctly?
  • Run-on Sentences
  • Faulty Parallelism
    • Example: “I enjoy reading, running, and to write“ (faulty parallelism) should be “I enjoy reading, running, and writing.”
• Check 21: Nonrestrictive Elements: Are nonrestrictive elements punctuated correctly?
  • Example: “The bird, which had a large beak, flew overhead.“ (Commas correctly set off the nonrestrictive clause.)

• F. Tips for Clarity and Powerful Verbs

Clarity in writing allows your reader to understand your content.

• Check 1: Clarity of Purpose
  • Example: Instead of, “The story was confusing,“ you could try, “The story’s plot twists detracted from the overall flow.”
  • Check 2: Know Your Audience
    • Example: Avoid using highly specialized terminology without explanation. Avoid overly advanced language for the average reader. Out-of-date can replace anachronistic.
  • Check 3: Sentence Structure Sanity
    • Example: To improve readability, break down long, complex sentences into shorter, more manageable ones.
  • Check 4: The Power of Brevity
    • Example: Replace phrases like “due to the fact that“ with “because.“ You may have to reorganize a sentence. “The house was on the edge of a cliff, so it leaned a little, and the strong winds would shake it at times.” can be changed to, “Strong winds swirled the cliff top, rocking the house that leaned over its sharp edge.”
  • Check 5: Word Choice
    • Example: Instead of “The big house was fancy and blue,“ you could try, “The mansion was elegant with cerulean siding.”

Conclusion

Revision is an ongoing cycle. However, most of us are not industry professionals; we are writers, not line editors. You will eventually say, “I’ve done everything I can,” and then pass it to the next person. This checklist is a tool to guide you through the different cycles of this process. As your work evolves and skills improve, revisit sections multiple times. The effort you invest in self-revision will show. An audience knows when they are reading something rushed and poor in quality.

Spending time on revision is good but using that time effectively following a clear action plan is fantastic. So please take what resonates with you from this list. If you want to ignore the rest, that’s perfectly fine!

The most pivotal tool I use is Scrivener. It has helped me improve my writing by giving me a sandbox to better view, understand, and construct my work. Here is my affiliate link (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener-affiliate.html?fpr=polyprose). I recommend purchasing the software 1000%. I continue to bring it up only because it has become integral in my writing and revision process. There is also a free version that I highly recommend.

I would love to hear where you are in the revision process. What part of the process do you find most frustrating? I’d also like to know what your favorite part of revising has been.