The Stoplight Method for Revision, Part I: Red Light Issues
Photo by Scott Warman on Unsplash
Have you ever finished a manuscript and wondered, Now what do I do with it? If so, you are not alone. The majority of writers think that revision means “go back to the beginning and start from page 1 and then edit each line.”
WRONG.
This is the worst way to do it. You’re not getting the big picture to make the fixes you need that will actually improve your manuscript. There is a time for line editing and proofreading, but it comes at the very end of the revision process, not the beginning.
I’ve tweaked my process quite a bit over the years, and through Author Accelerator I learned the Stoplight Method of revision, which I will share with you this month. I guarantee after reading these posts, you will have a much better idea of how to revise effectively – and whether (or when) to hire a coach or editor to help.
The Stoplight Method
RED – The biggest issues with your manuscript. These include significant changes to the beginning or ending; adding or deleting characters and subplots; addressing plot holes; moving or deleting chapters. This could even mean changing point of view (e.g. from 1st to 3rd) or even realizing you haven’t written in actual scenes and need to do that.
YELLOW – Medium-level issues, such as fixing dialogue; making sure the end of one scene drives into the next; moving information from info dumps to other places in the manuscript; trimming scenes.
GREEN – Lower-level issues, like line edits for clarity, fixing grammar and spelling, making sure you describe the scenes adequately and clarify where people are; cutting filler words; making sure names and descriptions of characters are consistent, etc.
Do This First
You need to step back from your completed manuscript and take some time away from it, to come back to it with fresh eyes. Take at least a month, or six weeks. Don’t look at it. Resist the urge to go back and start tweaking.
Then, when you are ready, reread the entire manuscript. Do not make any edits at this time. You may make some notes in a separate document if needed. These should only be big-picture notes, though.
I know, this is hard. I always want to start fixing things right away. However, it does you no good to fix things at this point, before you’ve even done the Red and Yellow light revisions. You may waste a lot of time tweaking chapters and pages you will end up revising significantly or getting rid of all together.
Write an “as-is” scene map of the novel as it currently exists (not any changes you’ve identified – yet). Include every scene. What happens, who the characters are, why it matters to them, how it links to the next scene. This will be your biggest source of information to identify plot holes, or places where your character arc sags or the character is simply a puppet to the plot.
You can frame it like this:
Scene: what happens
Point: why it matters to the protagonist
Because of that... the next thing happens
If you have multiple points of view, or subplots, it can be helpful to put them in different colors.
Red Light Issues:
These are issues with structure and character arc, as well as basic issues of genre conventions.
Ask yourself:
What is your story about? (One sentence)
Is there a clear character arc of change? What is their transformation? Does the ending answer the question asked at the beginning?
Is the point of view clear and consistent throughout?
Does the character have agency over their actions? Are their actions logical according to their character?
Does the main character have a clear desire that drives their actions?
Is something at stake for every choice your character makes?
Is there a cause-and-effect trajectory? Does each scene build to the next?
Is there a clear antagonist or force of opposition, with its own logic and desires? What about the character’s internal challenges that affect the story?
How is the pacing and flow of the story? Note any chapters or scenes where the tension sags. Is there necessary information that can be moved elsewhere?
Do you need to add, combine, or delete characters or subplots? I.e., can you already see holes that need to be filled?
Do you need to add a plot twist or reveal? Do you need to plant clues or red herrings? (Not just for mystery!)
Does your story meet the conventions for its genre? Be sure you know what they are so you can meet them, otherwise you will have a very difficult time selling your novel.
All of those areas are Red Light issues if they are not present. Don’t gloss over these. Don’t assume it’s on the page just because you want it to be. Hopefully you will have no more than 3-4 of these areas to work on, but whatever they are, you must deal with them first before tackling anything else.
Don’t panic! Everything is solvable, but you need a plan and a strategy.
First, take a look at your list of issues. Then, brainstorm ways to solve them. You may already have some ideas, but it’s important not to jump into anything – especially since any changes you make at the Red level are going to require changes throughout your novel.
How do you manage all these changes without tearing your hair out? You create a new scene map of the story as you envision it now, solving the Red Light issues.
Creating this new scene map will allow you to put in all the changes you need, in their appropriate places, managing all the resulting changes in one place. Again, you’ll be putting every scene on this map, as well as every major character arc. It will be much easier to see everything in scene map form.
Finally, make the Red Light changes. This may take some time. That’s okay! You are making your story stronger. You will have lots of questions you will need to answer – including the ones you know you have from the draft but have pushed to “I’ll think about that later.” Now is the time to nail those down!
Next week, we’ll get into some common Yellow Light Issues and how to deal with them.
