Create in a white hot heat, someone has said, but revise with a cool eye. I try to allow a bit of gestational time before I shift into revision mode. Even when I have a deadline, I hope to be able to sleep on it before sending any changes I’ve made. Don’t be too eager to say something is finished– revision is a skill set that takes practice and layers. Go back over what you revised yesterday, perhaps checking not only the day’s changes, but also keeping an eye out for a different kind of revision. I think it’s best to go from big to small edits. Let’s say you revised for “big picture” items (theme, flow, rhythm, deadwood) and today you are checking those changes. You can also be on the lookout for small edits (passive language, too many modifiers, etc.) Each round of edits concentrate on smaller and smaller changes. Revision is necessary, and you’ll get better with practice.
Writing Tip for Today:
When you revise, try a series of layers. First revision, concentrate on overall theme. Progress through off-topic spots or too-long passages, transitions, changing passive to active verbs, weed out excess modifiers and a final read-through for flow. You may end up going through the whole process multiple times. Happy writing.