Writing Tip: The Art of Revision: The End is Just the Beginning

Roald Dahl said, “Good writing is essentially rewriting.”

Everything we write needs revision. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could sit down to write a novel, move from opening to conclusion, type “The End,” and voila! a masterpiece.

It doesn’t happen that way for me, it doesn't happen that way for J.K. Rowling or James Patterson or Gillian Flynn, and it won’t happen that way for you.

You've finished your first draft and typed "The End,"... now what? Now it's the fun part - revising (yes, really!)
Below is a pdf of the Power Point presentation from my workshop The Art of Revision: The End is just the Beginning, and other references I use in that workshop. Feel free to download them.

"First drafts are for learning what one's fiction wants him to say. Revision works with that knowledge to enlarge and enhance an idea, to reform it. Revision is one of the exquisite pleasures of writing." 
~Bernard Malamud

Art of Revision Workshop.pdf

In addition, I have lots of writing tips on my blog. Here are a few samples:

Checking Your Chapters
Your First Draft is the Foundation
Plotting by the Numbers
Does Your Opening Page Grab?
Just do a search on my website with the words "Writing Tip" and you'll find lots more.
And...two of my favorite writing websites are WriterUnboxed and LiveWriteThrive. Subscribe to both and you'll get more material than you will ever have time to read. And all of it is worthwhile.
Scene-Structure-Checklist


Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Keep writing!