Writing Excuses

19.05: LIVE Recording - Revisions with Mahtab Narsimhan

Feb 4, 2024

Mahtab Narsimhan, an author and host from past seasons, joins the hosts to discuss revisions in writing. They talk about the difference between revising and rewriting, favorite techniques, and tips for making revisions more manageable. They also share tools and techniques for diving into revision, including using a Trello board and analyzing the purpose of each scene. Different revision approaches and the use of templates are explored, with listeners encouraged to revise their first chapter using a template and share their success stories.

20:08

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Episode guests

Mahtab Narsimhan

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Quick takeaways

Distill the entire story into chapters, scenes, plot points, point of view, setting, and timeline for a clearer and more efficient revision process.

Create a revision template outlining plots, chapters, point of view, and use tools like spreadsheets or Trello boards to track progress, identify redundancies, and ensure coherence in the narrative.

Deep dives

Revision as a Mindset and Process

Revision is a mindset that involves telling the story to the readers and fixing any holes or gaps in the narrative. While some writers love the rush of writing a first draft, the real work begins during revisions. It is essential to distill the entire story into chapters, scenes, plot points, point of view, setting, and timeline. By focusing on these factors, distractions like dialogue or descriptions can be eliminated, allowing for a clearer and more efficient revision process. Each scene should have a purpose, and the emotional core of each chapter should be carefully considered to keep readers engaged.

Progress is Measured in Ticks

01:14

Revise with Focused Clarity

01:19

Introduction

2min

Revisions and Challenges of Addressing Pacing

6min

The Art of Revision: Sculpting Words and Redoing Art

2min

Tools and Techniques for Revision

9min

Different Revision Approaches and Using Templates

3min

Some writers love revisions and some would rather scrub the toilet than revise their writing. On this episode, we are joined by author Mahtab Narsimhan, who many will recognize as a host from past seasons! Mahtab talks with our hosts about how she thinks about revisions. How do you revise your writing? What is the difference between revising and rewriting? Mahtab describes her favorite techniques and provides tips to make it more manageable.

Homework Assignment from Mahtab Narsimhan:

Take the first 3 chapters of your finished draft and distill it by 1) Chapter 2) Scenes 3) Key plot points per scene 4) POV 5) Setting 6) Time of day/timeline 7) How many pages per scene and/or chapter.

Thing of the Week:

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

Liner Notes:

The Revision Template that Mahtab mentions is a free resource on our Patreon! You can find it at www.patreon.com/writingexcuses

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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.

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