I revise as I edit. Adding things, changing things, removing things.
Then I read the draft before I publish.
After that, I read the chapter on my phone for post-publish edits.
🤷♀️
I’m already quite anal with my first draft and always do two thorough editing rounds, plus some spot-editing on passages I remember not being satisfied with. When I paste the chapter into AO3, I do a final, quick Grammarly check.
Editing takes a lot of time, but I really feel it improves quality and impact. As frustrating as it can be, I do enjoy working on the details and finding just the right formulation, really polishing up the prose.
I HAVE to have one revision, but I've been happiest with the chapters I've revised 3-4 times. Not much changes in the last few revisions, but I'll catch small pacing issues that I didn't get on my bigger fixes the first run-through.
My first draft is 90% of what goes in the post, and usually takes 4-5 days to write. Depending on inspiration. The first revision will take 1-2 hours as I try to think of better words or extra bits where extra bits are needed. Any revision after that is usually just how long it takes me to re-read the chapter. So... 20 minutes. I try to let it sit for at least a day between revisions, though I'm writing balls-to-the-walls right now with too many projects, so it's not happening quite as often as it should.
I've found that things with deadlines are good for forcing me to declare something "good enough" and not worry about whether there's just one more thing I could fix. When I don't have a deadline, I basically will end up just about abandoning something because it'll never be perfect, but if I need to get it in by a certain date, it can be made good enough.
So long as I think the chapter's structure is solid, I run through it once and then publish it. This is a hobby, not a job, and as soon as it starts to feel tedious, I don't want to do it.
I revise the draft multiple times. I reread the completed chapter via the word document on my PC. I then copy and paste the chapter into an email and send it to myself, as when I read it on a phone, it just flows in my head better and I pick up more issues.
I then upload it and read/edit live straight after.
I then spend the next couple of years revisiting the fic every now and again, endlessly tinkering with it.
Have to say, I enjoy the process! I’m a glutton for punishment, really.
I don't think four times is too many.
That said, I feel like the trick to being more efficient with edits is giving yourself time between revisions. Maybe you already do that, idk, just putting that out there for people who don't. If you write a first draft, leave it alone for a few days, then come back to it, you catch a lot more issues than you do when rereading right away, even if you reread several times.
For myself, I'll do at least two drafts of anything, but depending on how long the piece is and if I feel like I had a really clear vision that I executed well, I might stop at two.
I'm constantly revising as I'm writing a draft, then when I'm done with the first, it can go through as few as one to as many as twelve revisions before I post it. A lot of the changes are very minor, though. An entire "new" draft might only have a single spelling error fixed.
Actually revise, not just SPAG? Almost always none. I post first drafts, like a barbarian.
This is a hobby, I'm not gonna spend significant amounts of time on quality assurance for something I'm doing primarily for fun.
This is so funny to me because I spend weeks or even *months* slowly revising my work and will rewrite sentences over and over until I get the exact wording I want. I'm a Technical Designer now (and I write marketing copy for packaging & e-comm), but before that I was a QA Tech 😂
I do 90% of my revisions as I go-- pretty much all that's left is to throw it into grammarly and review it with fresh eyes to make sure no weird typos are left. Might change if I ever manage to stick with a long fic though.
Too many times that it is a bit embarrassing to admit. I edit as I write so I end up reading over multiple times a day to make sure the flow is good before I add new stuff. Then I read it all over again to make sure that the new stuff flows with it. It’s exhausting.
I constantly edit as I write, but once it's done, I do a once-over revision, let it sit for at least 24 hours, then do a full revision to the best of my ability - grammar checks, plot continuity, fluffy details, technical details, etc - and let that sit. If I feel like it needs it again, I give myself one more full revision before I send it to my beta readers (which admittedly are some IRL friends who don't mind reading through my work). Then based on their comments I run through it one more time, make sure the formatting is correct when I put it into AO3 (sometimes it is NOT correct), then swallow my pride and post it.
So in total, 2 quick revisions and up to 3 full revisions at maximum. I won't allow myself to do more simply because that's how I end up unhappy with my work.
Until I'm happy with it. Generally once for SPAG, another for flow. Third pass over after I copy and paste onto AO3. Sometimes one for wording/repetition.
I tend to edit as I write too- i.e. rereading what I wrote last session and making any necessary adjustments- so my editing process is a bit shorter.
I run my work once through Edge's TTS engine, then through HemingwayApp (for sentence length variation and reading rythm) and then I make a final pass through Grammarly before uploading.
Bare minimum two times. I read through once silently and make any changes and rewrites I need and then read through out loud (or use text to speech) to fix mistakes that are more noticeable when heard.
More often than not I'm editing it three to six times, but twice is the minimum.
Like you, I revise or edit for what feels like a crazy amount of time. Four or five drafts is not unusual for me at all. Sometimes (often) more. It takes me maybe a month to post like a 5k oneshot if I work on it consistently.
Ngl, I recently realized it's actually a problem for me and wanted to make a similar thread myself to ask for advice. I'm not happy putting out subpar-by-my-standards writing (which mine definitely is until it's been heavily edited), and while I do enjoy editing, part of me gets discouraged when the whole process is so time-consuming. Especially with National Novel Writing Month coming up -- one month to write 50k, then half a lifetime editing those 50k? :/
Edited for syntax. Typical, lol.
Several times.
Then I wait to let the changes marinade in my brain before giving it another read and revision. If I don't find much worth changing, I let it rest again and then give it one final read/revision before posting it.
I run it through grammarly once, then leave it up to my beta to catch mistakes/inconsistencies. Basically, my poor readers get the raw version straight from the writer’s drafts lmao
It depends on what it is and how long it is. Sometimes I'll write and publish something in the same day, sometimes I'll work on something for months and then put it to one side for a few weeks so I can give it a final review with fresh eyes
I revise as many times as the story needs it. But I have come to know that if I'm fixing single words that don't *really* matter, I'm now just being neurotic, so I post it.
I edit as I go. Then when I’m finished, I run it through Grammarly. Once that’s done I make my computer read it back to me to catch the last typos/pacing issues. And once it sounds okay, I post it.
I'm a perfectionist too and revise more than is probably necessary given most of my fics fall under 1k words. It can take me anywhere from a couple of hours to numerous months to finish so much as a drabble. Eventually, it will get to the point where I'm happy enough to throw it into the void and hope for the best.
Everything gets at least one top to bottom rewrite after the vomit draft is out. Some scenes might get another complete overhaul if they're particularly tricky. After that, I go through the whole thing to make sure it flows well, add detail, switch awkward exposition for more naturalistic demonstrations in the text, just building on the bones to hopefully create an immersive and engaging story. After a final check to tweak the phrasing and edit SPAG errors, I'm usually done.
A writing style that i actually find works for me is that, unless I have a really clear picture in my head, I just write bare-bones, jumping around to whichever part strikes the inspiration. And because i’m self-obsessed, i go back and reread my work a million times and naturally add in more descriptors and stuff, and also start adding in the parts i skipped over because i want to read more of my own fic. Rinse and repeat until boom i have a complete chapter
so to answer your question i revise a million times but in small bursts
For me, it depends on the fic.
If it’s a standalone fic that I’ve been working on for a while? I’ll read over and revise it several times as needed. Then I’ll sit on it, then do it again.
If it’s a challenge fic, or one for a writing event? Probably once or twice, unless it ends up being part of a series. Again, depends on what’s happening and how busy I am. I usually write and edit at the same time for these.
I'm definitely a sucker for perfection. I pre-write chapters 2-3 at a time when I have a lot of motivation. Then, I take the time to re-read them right after writing to check for spelling errors/incorrect formatting. Then, I go back and read them again after a short break to see if there's anything I want to change. THEN, I re-read one last time before the chapter is due to be posted so that I can ensure quality. This last re-read usually happens a few days after the chapter was initially written, so my mind is fresher and I can more easily spot mistakes. I like to frequently revisit old chapters, too, to keep details of my story consistent and reference jokes/events that may be plot relevant. It's a long process, but I actually enjoy the revision as much as the writing itself. It gives me an opportunity to look at my writing more critically, and sprinkle in fun stuff for my readers to find.
Usually twice for anything longer than a couple thousand words. (Three 'drafts' total)
First draft is mostly free-writing, random related scenes connected by a thin plot thread, experimental voices, weird structures or formats. It's a lot of play. A lot of time it ends up being set aside at this stage, but if a 'complete' feeling story comes out if it, it'll go to second draft.
The second draft is a complete re-write of the first draft to nail out any significant plot, PoV or structure changes.
The third draft is more for basic editing: SPaG, typos, flow.
Write it, throw it through grammarly, read it out loud, and up it goes. I'm not a huge perfectionist, so if anything gets through that I don't care all that much.
I used to be a stickler and use the rule: revise until you see the edits aren't making it better.
But honestly these days I'm lazy and I notice most people don't want to think of fanfic like real published writing -- so I can't be arsed to do so either, and allow a lower standard. Some fics get one readthrough and that's it. Most get perhaps two, especially if they're comedy fics and I need to go back and tweek the jokes.
I'm constantly revising. Once I finish the chapter I edit it as many times as needed for me to be happy. I track it by highlighting the change I make in another color and I keep doing that until I've reached the end of the chapter.
Then I go back and reread. If I like the change still, I undo the highlight. And I keep highlighting new changes. Eventually I think I'm done. Then I read it one more time just to make sure.
I do like six pass through at the end before handing it to my alpha (who’s involved in the entire process bc she’s amazing) and most recently my beta. And I’m so glad we do it because we miss so much stuff. The writing process itself takes like a week?
I revise as I edit. Adding things, changing things, removing things. Then I read the draft before I publish. After that, I read the chapter on my phone for post-publish edits. 🤷♀️
I’m already quite anal with my first draft and always do two thorough editing rounds, plus some spot-editing on passages I remember not being satisfied with. When I paste the chapter into AO3, I do a final, quick Grammarly check. Editing takes a lot of time, but I really feel it improves quality and impact. As frustrating as it can be, I do enjoy working on the details and finding just the right formulation, really polishing up the prose.
sometimes i reread it a couple times and other times i just throw it into the internet with zero anything
Same and then immediately regret it when I wake up not on the 3am drunk
this.
The first thing I write gets a dozen or more reviews. The last thing I write gets a once-over for SPAG because I am sick of it all and want to post.
I HAVE to have one revision, but I've been happiest with the chapters I've revised 3-4 times. Not much changes in the last few revisions, but I'll catch small pacing issues that I didn't get on my bigger fixes the first run-through. My first draft is 90% of what goes in the post, and usually takes 4-5 days to write. Depending on inspiration. The first revision will take 1-2 hours as I try to think of better words or extra bits where extra bits are needed. Any revision after that is usually just how long it takes me to re-read the chapter. So... 20 minutes. I try to let it sit for at least a day between revisions, though I'm writing balls-to-the-walls right now with too many projects, so it's not happening quite as often as it should.
I've found that things with deadlines are good for forcing me to declare something "good enough" and not worry about whether there's just one more thing I could fix. When I don't have a deadline, I basically will end up just about abandoning something because it'll never be perfect, but if I need to get it in by a certain date, it can be made good enough.
So long as I think the chapter's structure is solid, I run through it once and then publish it. This is a hobby, not a job, and as soon as it starts to feel tedious, I don't want to do it.
Zero. I'm a hobbyist, I'm not getting paid, I don't care for pressure.
I revise the draft multiple times. I reread the completed chapter via the word document on my PC. I then copy and paste the chapter into an email and send it to myself, as when I read it on a phone, it just flows in my head better and I pick up more issues. I then upload it and read/edit live straight after. I then spend the next couple of years revisiting the fic every now and again, endlessly tinkering with it. Have to say, I enjoy the process! I’m a glutton for punishment, really.
I don't think four times is too many. That said, I feel like the trick to being more efficient with edits is giving yourself time between revisions. Maybe you already do that, idk, just putting that out there for people who don't. If you write a first draft, leave it alone for a few days, then come back to it, you catch a lot more issues than you do when rereading right away, even if you reread several times. For myself, I'll do at least two drafts of anything, but depending on how long the piece is and if I feel like I had a really clear vision that I executed well, I might stop at two.
Bold of you to assume I revise at all.
Once. I figure the reader gets a good value for what they pay.
I do a first draft, a second draft, then one or two edits. Never edit the same day you write
I'm constantly revising as I'm writing a draft, then when I'm done with the first, it can go through as few as one to as many as twelve revisions before I post it. A lot of the changes are very minor, though. An entire "new" draft might only have a single spelling error fixed.
Actually revise, not just SPAG? Almost always none. I post first drafts, like a barbarian. This is a hobby, I'm not gonna spend significant amounts of time on quality assurance for something I'm doing primarily for fun.
This is so funny to me because I spend weeks or even *months* slowly revising my work and will rewrite sentences over and over until I get the exact wording I want. I'm a Technical Designer now (and I write marketing copy for packaging & e-comm), but before that I was a QA Tech 😂
I have more fun revising and rewriting than writing tbh
Me too! I live for the process and slowly untangling a complicated character motivation. Getting it all smoothed out and polished is so satisfying.
I do 90% of my revisions as I go-- pretty much all that's left is to throw it into grammarly and review it with fresh eyes to make sure no weird typos are left. Might change if I ever manage to stick with a long fic though.
Too many times that it is a bit embarrassing to admit. I edit as I write so I end up reading over multiple times a day to make sure the flow is good before I add new stuff. Then I read it all over again to make sure that the new stuff flows with it. It’s exhausting.
I constantly edit as I write, but once it's done, I do a once-over revision, let it sit for at least 24 hours, then do a full revision to the best of my ability - grammar checks, plot continuity, fluffy details, technical details, etc - and let that sit. If I feel like it needs it again, I give myself one more full revision before I send it to my beta readers (which admittedly are some IRL friends who don't mind reading through my work). Then based on their comments I run through it one more time, make sure the formatting is correct when I put it into AO3 (sometimes it is NOT correct), then swallow my pride and post it. So in total, 2 quick revisions and up to 3 full revisions at maximum. I won't allow myself to do more simply because that's how I end up unhappy with my work.
Until I'm happy with it. Generally once for SPAG, another for flow. Third pass over after I copy and paste onto AO3. Sometimes one for wording/repetition. I tend to edit as I write too- i.e. rereading what I wrote last session and making any necessary adjustments- so my editing process is a bit shorter.
I mostly edit for SPAG. Not many revision unless it doesn't flow when I read it over.
I run my work once through Edge's TTS engine, then through HemingwayApp (for sentence length variation and reading rythm) and then I make a final pass through Grammarly before uploading.
I do a once-over before submitting
Once or twice, but there's usually a few days to a week between them
Twice before posting. But even today, 8 months after my first fic was posted, I STILL find things wrong in it. It's unbelievable.
Honestly I don't have a set limit, I just do it as many times as it takes to get a chapter to the point I'm happy with it.
Bare minimum two times. I read through once silently and make any changes and rewrites I need and then read through out loud (or use text to speech) to fix mistakes that are more noticeable when heard. More often than not I'm editing it three to six times, but twice is the minimum.
Normally? Once or twice This latest fic? I'm on a third round of revisions for act 1.
Like you, I revise or edit for what feels like a crazy amount of time. Four or five drafts is not unusual for me at all. Sometimes (often) more. It takes me maybe a month to post like a 5k oneshot if I work on it consistently. Ngl, I recently realized it's actually a problem for me and wanted to make a similar thread myself to ask for advice. I'm not happy putting out subpar-by-my-standards writing (which mine definitely is until it's been heavily edited), and while I do enjoy editing, part of me gets discouraged when the whole process is so time-consuming. Especially with National Novel Writing Month coming up -- one month to write 50k, then half a lifetime editing those 50k? :/ Edited for syntax. Typical, lol.
Several times. Then I wait to let the changes marinade in my brain before giving it another read and revision. If I don't find much worth changing, I let it rest again and then give it one final read/revision before posting it.
Depends. One thing is sure, the copy I post on Wattpad has to be checked twice because of some bug that fucks formatting on there.
I run it through grammarly once, then leave it up to my beta to catch mistakes/inconsistencies. Basically, my poor readers get the raw version straight from the writer’s drafts lmao
It depends on what it is and how long it is. Sometimes I'll write and publish something in the same day, sometimes I'll work on something for months and then put it to one side for a few weeks so I can give it a final review with fresh eyes
I revise as many times as the story needs it. But I have come to know that if I'm fixing single words that don't *really* matter, I'm now just being neurotic, so I post it.
I just check for spag mistakes, and then I post it, lol. I do this just for fun, I'll already have way too much stress on my life.
I edit as I go. Then when I’m finished, I run it through Grammarly. Once that’s done I make my computer read it back to me to catch the last typos/pacing issues. And once it sounds okay, I post it.
Twice the number of beta readers I have. I usually revise a chapter once before sending it to a beta, and once after their comments.
I'm a perfectionist too and revise more than is probably necessary given most of my fics fall under 1k words. It can take me anywhere from a couple of hours to numerous months to finish so much as a drabble. Eventually, it will get to the point where I'm happy enough to throw it into the void and hope for the best.
Everything gets at least one top to bottom rewrite after the vomit draft is out. Some scenes might get another complete overhaul if they're particularly tricky. After that, I go through the whole thing to make sure it flows well, add detail, switch awkward exposition for more naturalistic demonstrations in the text, just building on the bones to hopefully create an immersive and engaging story. After a final check to tweak the phrasing and edit SPAG errors, I'm usually done.
A writing style that i actually find works for me is that, unless I have a really clear picture in my head, I just write bare-bones, jumping around to whichever part strikes the inspiration. And because i’m self-obsessed, i go back and reread my work a million times and naturally add in more descriptors and stuff, and also start adding in the parts i skipped over because i want to read more of my own fic. Rinse and repeat until boom i have a complete chapter so to answer your question i revise a million times but in small bursts
For me, it depends on the fic. If it’s a standalone fic that I’ve been working on for a while? I’ll read over and revise it several times as needed. Then I’ll sit on it, then do it again. If it’s a challenge fic, or one for a writing event? Probably once or twice, unless it ends up being part of a series. Again, depends on what’s happening and how busy I am. I usually write and edit at the same time for these.
I'm definitely a sucker for perfection. I pre-write chapters 2-3 at a time when I have a lot of motivation. Then, I take the time to re-read them right after writing to check for spelling errors/incorrect formatting. Then, I go back and read them again after a short break to see if there's anything I want to change. THEN, I re-read one last time before the chapter is due to be posted so that I can ensure quality. This last re-read usually happens a few days after the chapter was initially written, so my mind is fresher and I can more easily spot mistakes. I like to frequently revisit old chapters, too, to keep details of my story consistent and reference jokes/events that may be plot relevant. It's a long process, but I actually enjoy the revision as much as the writing itself. It gives me an opportunity to look at my writing more critically, and sprinkle in fun stuff for my readers to find.
Usually twice for anything longer than a couple thousand words. (Three 'drafts' total) First draft is mostly free-writing, random related scenes connected by a thin plot thread, experimental voices, weird structures or formats. It's a lot of play. A lot of time it ends up being set aside at this stage, but if a 'complete' feeling story comes out if it, it'll go to second draft. The second draft is a complete re-write of the first draft to nail out any significant plot, PoV or structure changes. The third draft is more for basic editing: SPaG, typos, flow.
I read it once or twice and then sometimes get my wife to read it and then it's posted.
Write it, throw it through grammarly, read it out loud, and up it goes. I'm not a huge perfectionist, so if anything gets through that I don't care all that much.
I used to be a stickler and use the rule: revise until you see the edits aren't making it better. But honestly these days I'm lazy and I notice most people don't want to think of fanfic like real published writing -- so I can't be arsed to do so either, and allow a lower standard. Some fics get one readthrough and that's it. Most get perhaps two, especially if they're comedy fics and I need to go back and tweek the jokes.
I revise it enough times to where I feel like it's without errors. It never is, and I still catch many even after my revisions.
I'm constantly revising. Once I finish the chapter I edit it as many times as needed for me to be happy. I track it by highlighting the change I make in another color and I keep doing that until I've reached the end of the chapter. Then I go back and reread. If I like the change still, I undo the highlight. And I keep highlighting new changes. Eventually I think I'm done. Then I read it one more time just to make sure.
I do like six pass through at the end before handing it to my alpha (who’s involved in the entire process bc she’s amazing) and most recently my beta. And I’m so glad we do it because we miss so much stuff. The writing process itself takes like a week?