When to stop revising and freaking post

[Feo Takahari]

I'm sure there was a thread about this before, but I can't find it in the archives, so I guess I'll just make a new one.

I have a history of revising and revising and revising, to the point where I'm just making tiny little changes. With my current project, I realized more than a month had passed since I'd really done anything to it, and I just said "screw it" and decided to post the first chapter online to try and light a fire under my rear. At what point do you reach the realization that you're just treading water with your constant revisions, and how do you get out of your rut and start adding more meaningful content?

 

[PaulineMRoss]

Set deadlines. I had to draw a line under the revision phase because I had a proofreader booked, with an inflexible schedule. Self-publishers can fix a date when they intend to push the 'Publish' button, and trad-oriented writers can set a date when they plan to start submitting. Eventually you just have to say: it's done.

 

[wordwalker]

One thing that helps is to build a checklist, based on your own writing experiences; maybe you sometimes skipped referencing all 5 senses, or you've decided your top writing priority is to always push one sense of the main character. Once you've rechecked those, and maybe done a general pass-through as well, you know you've done most of what matters and you're ready for your second opinion.

 

[Penpilot]

There's general rule of thumb that it's done when you make a pass and you've changed less than 10% of your story.

For myself, I know it's done when I'm just moving words around and not adding anything new to the story. That's as simplest as I can state it. I've had times where one day I'll take a word out and the next day I'll put it back. That to me is the surest way I can tell that I'm done with something for the immediate future, and it's time to send it out.