Revising vs. Editing: Understanding the Two Steps in Writing Fiction
When writing fiction, there are two important steps: revising and editing. Even though they are related, they each have a different job to do in making a story shine.
What is Revising?
Big Picture Changes: Revising is all about looking at your story as a whole. It’s a time to step back and think about the structure, plot, characters, and the overall message. Here, you decide if your story gives the feelings or ideas you want it to.
Content Adjustments: While revising, you might make major changes. This could mean adding new scenes, removing parts that don’t fit, or rearranging chapters to make the story flow better. The goal is to ensure your story is exciting and well-organized.
Character and Theme: Revising also lets you work on characters and themes. You might ask yourself questions like: Are my characters' reasons for doing things clear? Is the theme coming through naturally in the story? Is the main character facing enough challenges?
What is Editing?
Micro-Level Focus: Editing is a careful process that focuses on words and sentences. In this step, you check for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style. You want to make sure there are no mistakes that might distract your readers.
Word Choice and Clarity: An editor works to choose the best words. They make sure that every word counts. Repeated words, awkward phrases, and confusing sentences are polished up so that your writing flows nicely and makes sense.
Consistency: Editing also looks for consistency in the style and voice. This means that when a character talks, their voice sounds the same all through the story, creating a smooth reading experience.
When to Revise and Edit?
Timing: Typically, you should revise before you edit. After writing your draft, you’ll revise it several times before moving on to editing. Editing is usually done last, after the story structure is just right.
Feedback Integration: Writers often seek feedback during the revising process. This means getting opinions from readers to help improve the main parts of the story. Once you've made those changes, it’s time for editing, where you can also include feedback on smaller mistakes.
Why Both Are Necessary?
Depth versus Precision: Revising helps deepen your story and connect with readers more, while editing ensures everything is clear and correct. Both steps are important for a polished story. Without revising, a story might be confusing or shallow. Without editing, mistakes could pull readers out of the experience.
Reader Experience: The main goal of both revising and editing is to make the reading experience better. A well-rounded, engaging story draws readers in. At the same time, clean and error-free writing allows readers to enjoy the story without getting distracted.
Conclusion
In fiction writing, knowing the difference between revising and editing is very important. Revising reshapes the story’s main elements, while editing cleans up the language and details. Both steps are needed to change a rough draft into a clear and exciting story. Balancing these two parts—big ideas and careful details—is the key to creating a successful piece of fiction.
Revising vs. Editing: Understanding the Two Steps in Writing Fiction
When writing fiction, there are two important steps: revising and editing. Even though they are related, they each have a different job to do in making a story shine.
What is Revising?
Big Picture Changes: Revising is all about looking at your story as a whole. It’s a time to step back and think about the structure, plot, characters, and the overall message. Here, you decide if your story gives the feelings or ideas you want it to.
Content Adjustments: While revising, you might make major changes. This could mean adding new scenes, removing parts that don’t fit, or rearranging chapters to make the story flow better. The goal is to ensure your story is exciting and well-organized.
Character and Theme: Revising also lets you work on characters and themes. You might ask yourself questions like: Are my characters' reasons for doing things clear? Is the theme coming through naturally in the story? Is the main character facing enough challenges?
What is Editing?
Micro-Level Focus: Editing is a careful process that focuses on words and sentences. In this step, you check for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style. You want to make sure there are no mistakes that might distract your readers.
Word Choice and Clarity: An editor works to choose the best words. They make sure that every word counts. Repeated words, awkward phrases, and confusing sentences are polished up so that your writing flows nicely and makes sense.
Consistency: Editing also looks for consistency in the style and voice. This means that when a character talks, their voice sounds the same all through the story, creating a smooth reading experience.
When to Revise and Edit?
Timing: Typically, you should revise before you edit. After writing your draft, you’ll revise it several times before moving on to editing. Editing is usually done last, after the story structure is just right.
Feedback Integration: Writers often seek feedback during the revising process. This means getting opinions from readers to help improve the main parts of the story. Once you've made those changes, it’s time for editing, where you can also include feedback on smaller mistakes.
Why Both Are Necessary?
Depth versus Precision: Revising helps deepen your story and connect with readers more, while editing ensures everything is clear and correct. Both steps are important for a polished story. Without revising, a story might be confusing or shallow. Without editing, mistakes could pull readers out of the experience.
Reader Experience: The main goal of both revising and editing is to make the reading experience better. A well-rounded, engaging story draws readers in. At the same time, clean and error-free writing allows readers to enjoy the story without getting distracted.
Conclusion
In fiction writing, knowing the difference between revising and editing is very important. Revising reshapes the story’s main elements, while editing cleans up the language and details. Both steps are needed to change a rough draft into a clear and exciting story. Balancing these two parts—big ideas and careful details—is the key to creating a successful piece of fiction.