revision

What this skill does

# Revision: Diagnostic Skill

You diagnose revision-level problems and guide systematic manuscript improvement. Your role is to help writers work through revision efficiently and know when they're done.

## Core Principle

**Revision is not one activity but many, each operating at a different scale.**

Work from largest scale to smallest:
1. **Developmental** (structure, story)
2. **Line** (sentences, paragraphs)
3. **Copy** (mechanics, consistency)

**Crucial insight:** Polishing prose in a scene you'll later cut is wasted effort. Fix structure first.

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## The Revision Hierarchy

### Level 1: Developmental Editing

Addresses the story itself—structure, character arcs, pacing, theme.

**Questions:**
- Does the story work?
- Is the structure sound?
- Do character arcs complete?
- Is the pacing effective?
- Does the ending satisfy?

**What to look for:**
- Plot holes and logic failures
- Missing or weak character motivation
- Scenes that don't advance plot or character
- Pacing problems (too slow, too rushed)
- Unclear or absent theme
- Weak opening or ending
- Inconsistent characterization

**When done:** Story works at the structural level. Major changes complete.

### Level 2: Line Editing

Addresses the writing itself—sentences, paragraphs, flow.

**Questions:**
- Does each sentence earn its place?
- Is the prose clear and effective?
- Does dialogue sound distinct?
- Is description balanced with action?

**What to look for:**
- Awkward sentences
- Passive voice overuse
- Redundant phrasing
- Unclear antecedents
- Dialogue that all sounds alike
- Description that overwhelms action
- Telling where you should show
- Weak verbs and vague nouns

**When done:** Prose is clean and effective at the sentence level.

### Level 3: Copy Editing

Addresses mechanics—grammar, spelling, consistency.

**Questions:**
- Is grammar correct?
- Is spelling consistent?
- Are style choices consistent throughout?
- Are facts accurate?

**What to look for:**
- Spelling errors
- Grammar mistakes
- Punctuation problems
- Inconsistent capitalization
- Timeline inconsistencies
- Character name spelling variations
- Factual errors (if relevant)
- Formatting inconsistencies

**When done:** Manuscript is clean and consistent.

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## The Revision States

### State R1: Overwhelmed—Don't Know Where to Start

**Symptoms:** Draft is complete but revision feels paralyzing. Too many problems visible. No clear priority. Random fixing without strategy.

**Key Questions:**
- Are you trying to fix everything at once?
- Have you identified the structural issues?
- Is the story fundamentally working?
- What level of editing is needed first?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] Story structure evaluated before prose polish
- [ ] Major changes identified before minor
- [ ] Clear priorities established
- [ ] One pass focus at a time

**Interventions:**
- Start with structural pass—always
- Use the six-pass system (see below)
- Focus on one type of problem per pass
- Accept that structure must be solid before prose matters

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### State R2: Blind—Can't See Problems Anymore

**Symptoms:** You've read the manuscript too many times. Problems are invisible. You can't tell if sentences work. Everything feels the same.

**Key Questions:**
- How recently did you draft this?
- Have you changed format?
- Have you read aloud?
- Have you gotten external feedback?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] Waited days/weeks since drafting
- [ ] Changed reading format (print, different device)
- [ ] Read aloud to hear problems
- [ ] Engaged external readers

**Interventions:**
- Time away (days or weeks if possible)
- Change format dramatically (print if digital, Kindle if print)
- Read aloud—the ear catches what the eye misses
- Get external feedback (beta readers, critique partners)

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### State R3: Endless—Revision Never Stops

**Symptoms:** Can't declare done. Keep finding more to fix. Each pass reveals new problems. Perfectionism paralysis. Fear of shipping.

**Key Questions:**
- Have you defined "done" for each pass?
- Are you finding real problems or manufacturing them?
- Have you set a limit on revision rounds?
- Can you accept "good enough"?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] Clear definition of "done" for each pass
- [ ] Limited number of revision rounds set
- [ ] Distinction between real problems and preference
- [ ] Acceptance of "good enough" as valid endpoint

**Interventions:**
- Define explicit pass goals—when each is complete
- Set revision limits (e.g., "3 full passes maximum")
- After a set number of passes, declare done
- Accept that perfect is enemy of done
- Ship when marginal returns diminish

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### State R4: Conflicted—Feedback Contradicts Itself

**Symptoms:** Reader A says one thing, Reader B says opposite. Can't reconcile conflicting advice. Paralyzed by competing opinions.

**Key Questions:**
- Are multiple readers noting the same issue?
- Is this a problem or a preference difference?
- What's the underlying issue both sensed?
- Does either feedback align with your vision?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] Gathered all feedback before acting
- [ ] Looked for patterns (multiple noting same issue)
- [ ] Distinguished preference from problem
- [ ] Prioritized based on impact

**Interventions:**
- Look for underlying issue both readers sensed (they may describe it differently)
- Pattern = real problem (multiple readers, same area)
- Preference = your call (one reader, stylistic choice)
- Trust your vision when preferences conflict
- Implement systematically, not reactively

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### State R5: Delete-Phobic—Cutting Is Too Painful

**Symptoms:** Refusing to cut material. Can't kill darlings. Every word feels precious. Resistance to removing scenes or characters.

**Key Questions:**
- Are you attached to the writing or the story?
- Does this scene/passage serve the final manuscript?
- Can it be saved in another form?
- Would cutting strengthen what remains?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] "Darlings" folder for cut material
- [ ] Focus on strengthening what remains
- [ ] Recognition that cut material served draft purpose
- [ ] Willingness to kill darlings when needed

**Interventions:**
- Save cuts in a separate file ("darlings" folder)—they're not deleted, just moved
- Focus on what remains, not what's lost
- Remember: cut material served its purpose in the draft (it helped you find the story)
- Ask: "Does removing this make the story better?"

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### State R6: Wrong Level—Bottom-Up Editing

**Symptoms:** Polishing prose before structure is solid. Line editing before developmental. Fixing sentences in scenes that should be cut.

**Key Questions:**
- Is the story structure working?
- Have you confirmed this scene will stay?
- Are you doing prose polish on a broken structure?
- Have you completed passes in order?

**Diagnostic Checklist:**
- [ ] Structural pass completed first
- [ ] Scene necessity confirmed
- [ ] Character arcs verified
- [ ] Only then: prose polish

**Interventions:**
- Stop prose work immediately if structure is uncertain
- Complete structural pass before anything else
- Confirm scene stays before polishing it
- Always work top-down: structure → scenes → lines → copy

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## The Six Revision Passes

Rather than fixing everything at once, use focused passes:

| Pass | Focus | Looking For |
|------|-------|-------------|
| **1. Structural** | Story logic | Plot holes, arc completion, pacing |
| **2. Scene** | Individual scenes | Goal-conflict-disaster, necessity |
| **3. Character** | Consistency | Voice, motivation, arc progress |
| **4. Dialogue** | Conversation | Subtext, voice, function |
| **5. Prose** | Sentence level | Clarity, flow, precision |
| **6. Polish** | Mechanics | Grammar, spelling, formatting |

### Why Multiple Passes Work

- **Focus enables seeing:** Looking for one thing reveals what you'd miss scanning for everything
- **Prevents cascade waste:** Structural changes invalidate line-level work
- **Manages cognitive load:** Each pass has limited dec