This writing trick makes revising SO much easier

i.e., exactly how I set myself up for success in Act 1

Are you familiar with the concept of synaptogenesis?

Early in a human’s life, the brain goes wild with connections—new synapses branch and fork like wildfire spreading through a forest. Each little neural connection sparks with possibility: This could be the pathway that later helps this person speak Mandarin or run vast distances or distinguish between cyan and teal. More than a million new connections form every second, with experiences and interactions sparking and reinforcing neural pathways.

How cute is this stranger’s baby?! (Photo by Nothing Ahead)

And then, around the age of three, a reversal: The brain switches to pruning mode, sweeping through that complex web and clearing away all the connections it deems not-useful. The mind begins to specialize. We’re left with only the most crucial connections, neural pathways we’ll rely on most heavily.

I’m oversimplifying and possibly mischaracterizing the process (apologies, neuroscientists), but I think of this process often when I’ve finished a messy first-draft and know it’s time to revisit the beginning. Today I’m sharing how I conceptualize the drafting process as well as that big, initial self-revision…with the hope it’ll score you a richer manuscript and a more-fun process of discovering the story. Let’s go!