Read once for decisions
Summarize each chapter as a choice and a consequence. If Mara finds a ferry ticket in chapter four, record what she decides to do with it in chapter five.
How to revise your NaNoWriMo novel after the last sprint
Map your November draft by chapter, identify missing turns and plan your first revision pass with a printable worksheet and worked example.
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Start with the draft you actually wrote
Mark one repair you can finish today
Your November outline remembers an earlier version of the book. A fresh chapter map shows where the story changed while you were writing.
Inside the worksheet
Locate the missing scene
If chapter five begins with Mara on the boat but chapter four ends with her refusing to leave, flag the change of mind. Leave sentence polishing until the missing decision has a place.
Order the repairs
First settle why Mara boards the ferry. Next revise the goodbye scene. Last adjust the ticket description, when you know which clues a reader needs.
Try one session
Map one chapter
Write its point of view, decision and consequence on one line.
Locate the first broken link
Read the join with the next chapter and mark what a first-time reader cannot infer.
Schedule the repair
Write the missing cause before revising scenes that depend on it.
Choose an approach
Start with the draft you actually wrote
| Capability | Structural pass | Line pass |
|---|---|---|
| When it fits | Change the order, add a decision or remove a repeated scene. | Tighten individual sentences once the scene belongs in the book. |
| First question | What made this character change course? | Does this sentence say exactly what happened? |
| Mark on the page | A missing decision between chapters | An ambiguous pronoun after the decision is clear |
Frequently asked questions
Should I start by rewriting chapter one?
Read the ending first. A changed ending can alter what the opening must promise. Mark the opening and return after the structural decisions.
KEEP READING
Mark one repair you can finish today
Write down the chapter, the reader's unanswered question and the first change that would resolve it.