This is the continued saga of my foray into Janice Hardy’s Revise Your Novel in 31 Days     at-home workshop (blog.janicehardy.com).

Today I was asked to look at each scene in my story and decide if it contained goals, conflict, and stakes—also if it drove the reader into the next scene. Here are some notes I made:

The end of chapter 1 needs a better sentence to lead the reader into the next chapter.

Chapter 3 needs to show protagonist’s realization that her plan will not work.

Chapter 14 or 15 needs to show villagers want to stay and fight and not run like cowards.

Chapter 30 – Necessary, or delete? Perhaps merge with another chapter?

Knowing I do not have to make these changes now, but merely make a note of them, relieves a lot of the pressure I might feel otherwise.

Results: Now that I am not as overwhelmed by the thought of revision (thank you Janice), I can relax and go through each scene with a critical eye. I am gaining confidence in my ability to self-edit because I have been given a plan of action that addresses one thing at a time.

Take-Away Value:

Don’t try to climb to the top of a ladder in one step. Tackle each scene individually and make note of any missing, broken, or unnecessary rungs. Repairs can come later.