Questions I Ask Myself During the Revision Process

Jennifer Peaslee
Jan 13
2 min read

When I write a short story, I aim to write three drafts, because I'm a chronic underwriter who needs to layer in description and setting. My first draft is for getting the story down. The second draft is for removing any plot holes while adding necessary content. And my third draft looks for ways to enrich the story.

Here are some questions I ask, in no particular order, while revising:

Am I Telling, or Showing?

This is part of my chronic underwriter side. Often, I'll take the shortcut of telling the reader what I want them to know about the character. To fix that, I flesh out the scene with an example that the reader can see.

Where Can I Cut Words?

Being a chronic underwriter doesn't mean that I never waste words. My sentences can be quite clunky, so when I revise, I look for ways to make some sentences shorter and punchier.

Where Should I Add Words?

In particular, I ask where I can add more description and inner monologue.

Have I Chosen the Best Beginning?

I'm one of those people who think beginnings are extremely important. When first writing, I usually do a conventional beginning: I start the story a little before the action takes place, so I can show the normal world.

But sometimes that's not the best place to start. So, I like to take a minute and consider if I'm starting my story in the right place.

Am I Overexplaining to the Reader?

Another terrible habit of mine. Let readers draw their own conclusions!

Is the Theme Consistent?

Recently, I wrote a story that I intended to be a queer adult romance with a dash of witchiness. It ended as a queer YA coming-of-age tale with a dash of religious criticism. Very different.

As you can imagine, the themes were messy and all over the place. I chose one and revised the story with that fresh understanding.

What questions do you find helpful when revising? Drop a comment to let me know!

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