How to Self-Edit

You sit back in your chair after a long day of writing. Scrolling through endless pages of hard work, you realize that you've finished the first draft! But before you can celebrate, the dreaded revision process looms over you. 

You immediately feel insecure about all the work you’ve done and overwhelmed by all the typos and plot holes you might find when you start revising. If this scenario is familiar to you, here are some tips to help get in the right mindset to approach revising a first (or second or third) draft. 

Tip #1: Be Proud! 

Completing a draft is a great accomplishment no matter what stage in the process you're in. Taking the time to be proud of yourself and the work that you've done is one of the most important things you can do when building confidence as a writer. Remember that even putting the words to page is progress, no matter how messy. 

Tip #2: Put it Away 

When you finish a draft, it can be tempting to jump straight into revising everything you just wrote. This is counterproductive because it can make you feel overwhelmed with responsibility and pressure. Additionally, immediately beginning revisions may not yield anything particularly productive, since you'll largely be in the same creative space you were when you finished the draft. 

Taking a step back before revising or even before rereading gives your brain a nice reset and time to decompress after working hard. 

Tip #3: Make a Plan

For some writers, taking time away from their work can be relaxing and creatively stimulating. But for others, the feeling of being unproductive might cause more anxiety. If you absolutely must be working, don’t turn back to the manuscript just yet! Instead, opt for making a revision plan. What do you want to focus on when you begin the process? What makes the most sense for your story? Whether it’s a highly structured plan or just some loose bullet points, having something to refer to might help to make the process less stressful when the time comes. 

Tip #4: Adjust Your Expectations

When revising your work, acknowledge the fact that you're entering into a process and it will likely take days or even weeks of hard work. Trust your own timeline and process and recognize that quality work will take time to produce. Whether you spend a few days, a week, a month, or even a year revising, there's no “correct” amount of time for this part in the process. 

To sum it up: 

Revision can be a daunting and highly emotional experience but going in with the right mindset and strategies can make all the difference. Next time the revision stage rolls around, grab your favorite drink and try a couple of these strategies for keeping cool while self-editing.

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About the author: Avery Gillis is a rising fourth year student at The Ohio State University. She is studying English Literature with a minor in Classical Humanities. Avery has served on the editorial staff for Mosaic Magazine, Ohio State's undergraduate art and literature magazine, for two years and enjoys analyzing storytelling as a uniquely human art form. By reading and writing she seeks out opportunities to tap into what makes storytelling so important to humanity of both the past and the present. When she is not reading or writing, Avery can be found frequenting her local independent cinema and playing too many video games.