Revision
Methods & processThe multi-pass work that turns a first draft into a book: structure, scenes, sentences, proofing.
Example
Pass 1: two chapters cut. Pass 2: three scenes merged. Pass 3: 8% fewer words. Pass 4: zero typos.
Revision is the process that turns the first draft into a finished text. Its fundamental law: proceed in passes, from largest to smallest — structure first (moving, cutting, merging chapters), then scenes (does each earn its place?), then sentences (style, repetitions), finally the surface (spelling, consistency). Polishing a sentence before validating the scene is repainting a wall you may tear down.
Stephen King recommends six weeks in a drawer between draft and first reread, so you can read your text like someone else's; his famous formula ("2nd draft = 1st draft − 10%") recalls that revision is first an art of cutting. It's also the stage where versions pile up — hence the value of named milestones before each pass.
In the workshop
In Extypis, create a named snapshot before each pass: you cut fearlessly, every previous state stays one click away.
Go further
The four-pass revision methodPut this term to work
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