Guide to Revising Your Novel, Beginners

If you’ve handwritten your changes like I do, then now is the time to type all those changes in.

Look: this step is boring and slow and pretty mindless. BUT, it does afford you one more chance to make sure you like all the changes you’ve made to the story and to polish any prose you’re not sure about.

I realize why many people prefer not to have to do this step—and why they therefore prefer to work directly on their manuscript digitally. And that’s fine!

For me, my creativity is very tactile. I will always work more quickly, more comfortably, and more happily when I work by hand with a pen and paper. (It also keeps me from getting distracted by the internet!) But if that’s now how you feel your most creative, then that is okay.

You do you.

And if you don’t yet know, then I again urge you to at least try the handwritten route! For many people, it’s a great way to lock up new creative centers in their brain!