The Revision Stage: Where the Real Writing Happens
Revising a manuscript is a bit like realising the house you built has several crooked walls, a suspicious smell, and a family of raccoons living in the attic. It’s overwhelming. It’s humbling. But it’s also where the magic happens.
Revision lets you transform chaos into clarity. You refine character arcs, sharpen dialogue, tighten pacing, and remove unnecessary scenes, including that beautiful metaphor that unfortunately makes no sense whatsoever.
Good editing requires bravery. You must cut what doesn’t serve the story, even if you love it. You must face your structural mistakes without crying (too much).
But the joy of revision is the sense of control. You’re no longer guessing; you’re shaping. The book begins to resemble… well, a book.
Slow down. Take it chapter by chapter. Celebrate improvements. Revision isn’t punishment, it’s polish… apparently… or so I keep telling myself.