Revising Without Getting Emotional

You’ve done it! You’ve finished your first draft!

After you’ve celebrated (an important step not to be missed), you’ll have to get down to another critical step in the publishing process—revisions.

Silhouette of person releasing lantern over lake at sunset. Bottom left reads "revising without getting emotional"

Why Is Revision Scary?

Did the word revision send a chill down your spine? If it did, you’re not alone.

Editing can be a scary time for many reasons, and writers might experience any number of emotions as they encounter different challenges in the editing process. You may experience self-doubt about whether your book is worthy of being edited or published. You may feel impatient and frustrated as edits take longer than you wanted or require more changes than you anticipated. At some point, the process can feel overwhelming (especially when receiving conflicting feedback to incorporate). And, of course, there’s the uncertainty of what happens after revising and whether you’ll get published or whether anyone will read your book.

In other words, all the feels.

These feelings often make us our own harshest critics, and this can stop us dead in our tracks before we even begin revisions. So, I’ve compiled some tips for assessing your writing in a more neutral way to remove unhelpful emotions, which will ultimately make revisions and editing easier.

Overcoming Your Emotions during Revisions

Acknowledge Doubt

Intangible things can be scarier than tangible ones, which is why identifying our doubts can be so powerful. Give your doubt a name (like “Megadoubt” or “Larry”), and then tell it to go sit in the corner. Creating a disparate persona helps us see the doubt as a separate entity, something we can dissociate from and remove at will.

If you’re visually artistic, draw a picture of your doubt and how it makes you feel. You can rip it up or burn it (safely!) to symbolize conquering it. Or you could draw a second picture that depicts you overcoming the visualized doubt and then hang it somewhere you’ll see it during revisions.

You can also grab a jar or box, write your worries down on paper, and feed them to the box/jar. This symbolic “trapping” of the doubt allows us to recognize our emotions while setting them aside, out of the way of our editing.

Replace Fear with Fun

Editing can be intimidating, but we can overcome fear by thinking of revisions as a time to play and have fun. As a quick initial trick, try changing your manuscript’s font to Comic Sans (a font I find hard to take seriously) or American Typewriter (so you can pretend to be Hemingway or Angelou). Seeing the manuscript in a new font can help us approach the work as if it’s a new toy someone just handed us.

After all, if the words aren’t our own, then we can do anything we want to them without fear.

The effort required for revising a novel can also strike fear into us. Break down your revisions into smaller tasks so they are less daunting and more manageable. Set up a reward system. Treat yourself to a break, a snack, a walk, or some other enjoyable activity when you reach each of your small goals. Reinforcing your editing with fun corresponding behaviors can erase the trepidation of settling down to edit.

Turn Judgment into Curiosity

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. Curiosity (and the resulting satisfaction) can enliven the writer facing revisions. Reading and revising your work during editing can quickly devolve into judgment, translating into thoughts of “This is no good” or “I’m a terrible writer.” Don’t fall into those feelings. Instead, be curious about revisions!

Thwart judgment by getting curious about your knowledge gaps. If you’re stuck on how to self-edit, don’t lament; seek out the information you need with the attitude that every other writer is also constantly learning and evolving. Even seasoned authors.

Curiosity also means asking questions. Instead of saying and focusing on, “This isn’t working,” try thinking, “How do I make this work?” There is always a way to strengthen a plot point or a particular passage. By asking ourselves how we can do something, we take the focus off our initial judgment and replace it with curiosity to solve the problem. Entering your work with this mindset can empower you to keep exploring.

Focus Beats Overwhelm

Revising can feel like an overwhelming process because it does require a good amount of time. But you can beat back your overwhelm by staying mindful of the moment. Mindfulness can help as much during revisions as it can during your meditation class. That’s because mindfulness focuses us on what’s right in front of us.

We aren’t thinking of all the words to come. We’re concentrating on a manageable portion and what we can do during that particular session.

Reducing overwhelm also means resisting external stressors and responsibilities when editing. You won’t be able to concentrate on your words if you’re worried about the laundry, next week’s PTA meeting, or that looming project at work. Set aside time when you can edit uninterrupted and focus solely on your manuscript.

What If I Can’t Overcome My Emotions?

Emotions are strong little buggers. They can root in deeply before we know it. If you’re struggling to start revisions because of the corresponding feelings, consider seeking an outside perspective. Use critique groups and beta readers to get initial feedback on your writing. Since they’ve never seen it before, they have the ultimate fresh perspective.

A professional editor can also help remove doubt, fear, judgment, and overwhelm by showing you where you shine and introducing you to knowledge and resources for the places you still need to polish. Editors are here to guide and inspire you, not tear you down. An outside perspective might be just what you need to kick these emotions to the curb.

Summary

Revisions ultimately come hand in hand with emotions. Don’t let unhelpful feelings keep you from making your manuscript the best it can be. You must acknowledge your doubts, replace fear with fun, get curious to surmount judgment, and stay focused to beat overwhelm. Follow these steps, and you’ll have a revised manuscript in no time.

Need a Manuscript Evaluation?

As a comprehensive editor for fantasy and cozy mysteries, I am here to explore your writing and help make it the best it can be. If doubt, judgment, fear, or overwhelm are holding you back from revising your draft, then contact me, and let’s start with a manuscript evaluation. This service is designed to set you on the right path to continue self-editing your book.