I’ve had revision on my mind lately since I have been deep in revisions for my own book. As I have previously shared, I think the best way to approach revision is in layers, focusing on one thing at a time. Strategically, it makes the most sense to tackle the biggest issues first (story level) and then work your way down towards scene and line level concerns. A few weeks ago, I shared what a Layer 1 (story level) revision looks like. Now, let’s dive into Layer 2: scene level.
Beta Reader Time
Before you move from Layer 1 to Layer 2 revisions, it’s time to get some feedback! Even if you have critique partners or beta readers who have looked at previous drafts, once you feel solid that you’ve locked down the story, it’s time to get some fresh eyes on it – 5-10 sets if possible. To get the most out of your beta feedback, I recommend the following steps:
Create a list of questions for your beta readers and ask them to answer those questions rather than leaving line comments on your manuscript. Not that line comments aren’t sometimes useful, but at this stage what you want to know is if the basic story elements are in place. (As some bonus content at the end, I’ve shared one of the questionnaires I’ve given to past beta readers. You can get access if you are a paid subscriber!)
Give your beta readers a deadline. Two-four weeks is a reasonable timeline. Set the timeline to be a few days to a week before you actually need feedback, since some people will probably be late. When you are seeking potential beta readers, let them know your timeline, and assure them that it is okay for them to say no if they don’t think they can meet the deadline. This assures that you will actually get feedback returned to you!
You will probably get more useful feedback from other writers than from non-writers, but if you have friends who love your genre or who have a particular expertise, they may give valuable feedback! For example, when I was writing YA, I wanted a teen perspective, so I paid one of my colleague’s kids (an avid reader) for her feedback. More recently, I was looking for some F1 fans to review my book, so most of my non-writer beta readers were chosen because of their interest in F1.
If you struggle to find beta readers, it may be worth hiring some pros through a beta reader service such as The Spun Yarn or to hire a developmental editor. (I do developmental edits if you’re interested in getting feedback from me! You can also find many excellent professionals over on Reedsy.)
Once you have sent your manuscript and question form to beta readers, don’t work on it! Take a break and either work on another project, or take some time off of writing entirely. If you’ve written an un-put-downable book, you’ll probably get some beta feedback trickling back to you early. Regardless, it’s a good idea to send a nudge to your readers about a week before you want feedback returned. It’s especially helpful to send that nudge right before a weekend when they are most likely to have the time to sit down and read.
Once you have beta feedback…
Set aside some time to process your feedback. (More bonus content for paid subscribers! Behind the paywall, I’ve linked to some journal prompts you can use to process your feedback.) Based on what your beta readers said, are you truly ready to move on to scene level revisions? Or, do you need to go back and work on the overall story a bit more first?
What Layer 2 Means
You are ready for Layer 2 (scene level) revisions when:
The overall plot of the story holds together and makes sense
There is a satisfying character arc that readers understand
And the types of changes your beta readers/ editor are requesting don’t require massive restructuring of the whole story, but may require tweaks to many scenes
Here are the types of things you will likely work on in your Tier 2 revisions, and some posts from my archives that might help:
Updating sub-plots either by making them clearer and more prominent, or by entirely deleting them
Making certain themes of the story more or less prominent
Working on the balance of show vs tell in your scenes, as well as amping up emotion, tension, and checking on your worldbuilding and descriptions (even contemporary realistic books have worldbuilding!)
If you are significantly over or under expected word count, (10k or more), you may also need to add or subtract scenes
It’s Paywall Time, Baby
Some of the above posts have paywalled content. And, I have a couple of extra goodies behind the paywall here. (A sample beta reader questionnaire and a feedback processing journal.) While I choose to keep most of my content free, some things are just too good to give away. Plus, getting paid ensures I’m able to keep doing this work. So, if you find my materials helpful, want access to the occasional extra goodies, and have the budget, consider upgrading to a paid subscription!
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