• “Revision makes a good story a great novel.” — Joyce Carol Oates
• The difference between revising, editing, line editing, and proofreading.

Video Lesson: Revision is part of the writing process – Here’s how to start:

• Note the difference between it isn’t good and it isn’t finished.
• Don’t get fancy, get going. Each revision should enhance the reader's experience.

• Make space and time.
• How to evaluate your work.
• Start with the big picture.
• Notes and marginalia.
• Weathering imposter syndrome.

Video Lesson: Revising on the page or on the screen.

• Why revision is done best on the page. I’ll explain how and why to do it that way.
• Tips about revising on the screen. And when it’s best to do it that way.

• Let’s get into it – Revising one section at a time.
• How to evaluate the overall structure for organization, flow and cohesion.
• Revising for tone, voice, clarity, and focus.
• Spotting plot holes, questions, and inconsistencies.

Video Lesson: Taking inventory of the section and filling in holes.

• Tips for spotting what’s missing.
• How to fill in holes.
• Ways to stay organized during revision.

• Elements of a strong beginning.
• Improving the hook.
• Setting the tone, establishing pace and rhythm.
• Anchoring the story to place and time.
• Clarify your theme, argument, and promises to the reader.
• Set up conflict, problem, or inciting incident.

Video Lesson: Start at the beginning, but often the beginning isn’t where we think it is.

• Where to start your story on the page and how to find your way through the throat-clearing.

• Enhancing character quirks.
• Improving transitions.
• Testing the logic.
• Check the plausibility of events, choices, or reasoning.
  • In fiction, characters’ actions should make sense in the world you’ve built.
  • In nonfiction, claims should be clear and well-supported.
• Question whether the reader could follow the chain of cause and effect without needing extra explanation.
• Follow the flow to ensure scenes, arguments, actions, and points move into the next.

Video Lesson: Paper Tigers, Avoiding Confusion and Plausible Implausibilities

• Revise to heighten emotion—internal thoughts, reactions, or stakes that make readers care.
• Revise to increase tension in every scene.
• Identifying the wants, needs, and motivations of the characters and readers.
• Show what the character is feeling, what the moment means to them.
• What do we mean when we talk about stakes and how can you revise to heighten them. 

Video Lesson: Character Motivations, Stakes. Characters must feel something so readers will too.

• Revising your ending.
• Preventing an emotional drop.
• Draw out anecdotes or earlier images or callbacks.
• Clarify, enhance solutions, transformations, and takeaways.
• Cut unresolved scenes that don’t support the bigger meaning or purpose.

Video Lesson: Broccoli and chocolate cake — how to leave readers with a good taste.

• Techniques for tightening and cutting clutter.
• Choosing the right words, avoiding vague language, and making verbs effective.
• Vary sentence length and structure for impact and pacing.
• Focus on format, grammar, and punctuation.

Video Lesson: Going granular. Tips for revising sentences and words.

• Recognizing diminishing returns in revision.
• How do you know when you are done?
• Setting limits and knowing when a draft is “good enough.”
• Troubleshooting strategies to avoid endless tweaking and burnout.

• Proofreading tips and final checks.
• The “Make it Delightful” technique.
• Wrap up...What now?