Here are a few things I read for on a micro-level in my novel after the plot and character arcs are pretty solid, and after I’ve eliminated unnecessary scenes.
1. Read the opening and closing of every scene and ask: Does the opening pull you in? Does the closing make you want to turn the page? If they don’t, then fix them so they do.
2. Showing versus telling: Is there a balance? Am I showing things that I don’t need to show? Am I telling things that I need to show? There are a zillion and one ideas about showing and telling. Your decisions are going to depend on the type of story you are writing and your style.
3. Setting: Do the setting details drive the story forward? Are they colored in a way that provides insight into the POV character and his or her current mood/emotional state?
4. Voice: Is the voice consistent?
5. Dialogue: I read it out loud—multiple times. If my characters are making faces or moving in other ways while they speak I act these things out to see how they look and how they feel. I’d recommend doing this in a semi-private writing space so you don’t freak anyone out. And, sometimes it’s helpful to be in front of mirror.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on micro-level revision. Do you ever act out what your characters are doing? Or make the faces they make?
Northwriter 
I really enjoyed your post. Revisions are so important. I usually revise while I go, but I am slowly learning that first I need to pound out the story. The revisions will follow. The questions that you posed are very relevant to any writer. I know that I will be asking them to myself after I begin to revise.
-Josh
Great post, Paul. A very long time ago in a galaxy far away, I revised as I wrote the first draft. I soon learned that this is not a good idea. Get the first draft down and then revise. I love these questions. Going to print this out with your permission. They will help me in the years to come. Thanks, friend! =)
I’m glad you can use the questions. Good luck with your project!
I am going to do #5 today. The act of reading it aloud makes it either stand tall or fall apart. Very telling!!!
I hope it stands tall. And I hope you don’t lose your voice. I’ve lost mine by reading outloud but it’s worth it.
Ooh, I especially like the part about acting out what your characters are doing while they’re speaking. This is a weakness of mine that I’ve recently discovered. Sometimes the dialog alone shows everything.
I love this list, Paul! Thanks. 🙂
Great post Paul. I never thought to check each scene for opening and closing line. Love the cartoon as well!
Judy
Thanks, Judy.
Great ideas, Paul! I haven’t tried reading my novel outloud–it’s SO long! But I definitely see the benefit of doing so, and doing it in a private place! My family already thinks I’m crazy! 🙂 Don’t need to add fuel to the fire!
Great tips. I started revising my book this week, so I’ll definitely remember this checklist when I get to the micro editing stage.
Sometimes I’ll make the same faces as my characters, but only if I’m alone. Haven’t tried acting out the scenes, though. I agree with Jody… my family already thinks I’m crazy enough! 😉
Yes, I’ve tried to make faces and realize that they are just about impossible to describe with words! 🙂
That’s an awesome list of revision questions! I confess, I don’t have a checklist for my revision, although I do have a process. that starts very big picture (plot, structure, theme, organization) and then eventually becomes scene-by-scene, then paragraph-by-paragraph, and finally word-by-word. It’s an awesome feeling when you get to that micro stage, where you get to focus on the flow of the words, the beauty of expression and the clarity …
Happy Monday!
Portia
Portia, your process sounds fascinating. Thanks for sharing it.
Happy Monday to you, too!
This is fantastic, and I’m saving this in my “writing tips” folder.
I always ask myself if something is believable and would a teenage boy or girl really say or do these things.
Medeia, thanks for those questions. I’m going to add those to my revision questions.
Good list Paul. I do all of those things and especially read it out loud.Then I torture myself by sending it to everyone I know and cry through all the more changes they found!! Can you see where I’m at today?? LOL
Um, I haven’t really thought about it? Yeah, I’m that lame. Maybe I need to give it more thought! I do like to read my stories out loud; I feel like I catch a lot of awkwardness, particularly in dialogue that way. I mean, I DO revise and edit and stuff, I just don’t have a PLAN.
Mind if I steal yours? 😀
You don’t even have to steal. I’ll share:-)
My revision to-do lists vary depending on the book and where I am with it. And, Lame is not a word that I’d use to describe you:-), ali.
I’ve definitely had some imaginary conversations when struggling with dialog, but haven’t done a lot of acting out. You are clearly way better at revising than I am!
Yes! I do! I find so many instances where I’ve added an action beat that interrupts the flow of dialogue. Reading out loud is a must.
Reading aloud is invaluable. And often pushes the next step where I hear my daily thoughts in the voice of a WIP character.
All the time. I sometimes sketch scenes as I’m writing, like what they do with animated movies. I’ll have 10-15 sletches, especially for actions scenes. It works for me.
Stephen Tremp
I love #1 & #5. I’m looking forward to acting silly in the confines of my office.
By the way, I’ve been out of touch for a bit and just saw that gorgeous photo of the flower among the trees.
I like the reading aloud exercise. That is what I will do next. I’m also not a printer of my work so I always look at it in the same position on the same computer screen. I’m also looking forward to printing it out and pacing and flourishing while I read.
Semi-private? Knowing the looks even my closest friends and family give me when I start talking to my characters or talking through a piece of dialogue I would change this to extremely private and with multiplie padlocks between you and anyone else.
Great advice though on working through the revisions.
This is a great post! Totally helpful. I’m stil working on macro revisions right now, but I will definitely come back and use this post to guide me through the micro ones. Thanks, Paul!
I’m a perfectionist. But if I were to micro-revise, I’d never get anything finished!
[…] Northwriter: Micro-level Revision […]
Paul, thanks for this post. I embody my characters’ conversations too. And now I know I shouldn’t be ashamed to do so! Thank you again.
[…] I’m in the latter stages of revision, and I’ve done everything listed in my Micro Revision post, and I’ve shared the novel with a few beta readers, there comes a time when I try to look […]