Writers With Wrinkles
Writers With Wrinkles
Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid
How to Revise Your Novel: Developmental Editor Joel Brigham's Checklist (encore episode!)
53 minutes Posted Jun 17, 2026 at 8:00 am.
Introduction & Context
Phase 1: Plotting & Story Beats
Reader Expectations & Author Voice
Revision Checklist for Writers
Developing Your Writing Voice
Story Structure Red Flags
The "And Then" vs. "But/Therefore" Test
Fixing the Saggy Middle
Fixing the Rushed Ending
Polishing Your Manuscript for Agents
Closing & Resources
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Show notes
In this re-released conversation, developmental editor Joel Brigham returns to talk all things revision: how to approach your first editing pass, the most common pitfalls he sees in drafts, and how to know when a manuscript is truly ready to query. A great refresher as you set your summer writing goals. (Note: a recording glitch cut the original intro, which Beth explains at the top.) What you'll learn in this episode Joel revises in phases, and phase one is always structure. He looks for the...