You have created this work of art through your writing, and it is magically wonderful. A sense of accomplishment is raging through your veins. You have mastered the impossible; getting ideas from your head into words! Now what?
Here are some tips for revising your writing:
1) Set it aside
You should be proud that your ideas have finally streamed out of that big beautiful brain. Everyone benefits from “me” time, so right after you are done with your first draft take some time for yourself. Celebrate your first accomplishment of all those words hanging out on the page. Even writing this post, I have set it aside numerous times to let all of the ideas settle down for the night. The time away from your first writing will help you to decompress. Squeezing out your genius can be exhausting for you and your ideas.
2) Read
Now that you have had time to step away for a nice cup of coffee and a good night’s sleep, or four, it is time to read what you have written. See your writing with a fresh pair of eyes and imagine that you are reading something completely new to you. It will feel very foreign and you may remember some details you forgot to write down. This is great! Your ideas have had a chance to unfold while you were away and more things come to light. You started with great ideas, but sometimes your brain works so quickly that those ideas aren’t able to drop on the page all at once. This is where you have some “Ah ha!” moments that will take your writing to the next level.
3) Rewrite
Put those “Ah ha!” moments to the page and start feverishly writing again. You will have a sense of new awakening and new accomplishment. We encourage that you repeat steps two and three as many times as it takes to complete the thought process of your writing. Sometimes you need a while to savor your story. You can even make little paper shapes with pieces of your old draft. With time comes new perspective that can add extra flavor to your writing. Once you feel like you have rounded out your thoughts it is time for the next bit, editing.
4) r.a.w. edit
This phase of writing is meant for a fresh look from someone who has not seen your work yet, us. It is time for your baby bird story to fly into the big world. We will take good care of your ideas and work with you to piece together the final bits. By going back and forth together we will find that perfect point to take your writing to its heights!