Revising From the Outside In

Revision is hard for writers to do. It involves tearing into their work and undoing something they've spent considerable time and energy creating. It may be why many writers procrastinate or avoid revision altogether. There are ways to make this sometimes painful process easier. One of the biggest mistakes writers make when revising is to focus on the minutae before taking care of the larger structural issues. For example, they may be absorbed in getting the punctuation right when their plot is wandering all over the place. It's important to take care of the big things first. If there are larger issues in the framework that are problematic such as confusing content, poor organization or inconsistent point of view, for instance, it doesn't matter if the punctuation is correct because the whole piece is flailing. It would be like focusing on fixing a nail hole in the wall when the roof is caving in and the walls are crumbling. So revision becomes a matter of recognizing priorities and acknowledging when a work is in trouble and why it is in trouble. The revision process becomes so much easier when the general is attended to before the specific. In fact, attending to the general issues that need fixing often fixes the smaller issues as well. Revision doesn't have to be hard. It just needs to be done in a way that makes sense. Revising from the outside in is the smart way to begin.