The Joy of Revisions by Sarah E. Burr

There is a particular kind of relief that comes with finishing a first draft. The story exists. The characters have made it from the opening scene to the final reveal. The clues are on the page, the body has been found, the suspects have been gathered, and the killer has been named. For a mystery writer, that alone feels like a triumph.

But for me, the real joy begins in revision.

I’m currently working on revisions for the next Glenmyre Whim Mystery, and it has reminded me how much I love this stage of the writing process. For me, drafting is discovery. It’s messy, instinctive, and sometimes a little nightmarish. Revision is where I get to take everything I uncovered during that first pass and shape it into something stronger, clearer, and more emotionally resonant.

With the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, revision feels especially rewarding because these books are built on several layers at once. There is the central mystery, with all the suspects, motives, secrets, and red herrings that need to hold together. But there is also Hazel Wickbury’s personal journey, the history of the Glenmyre family, the magical rules of their “whims”, and the relationships that give the series its heart.

Those pieces don’t always arrive neatly in the first draft. Sometimes a clue appears too early. Sometimes a character’s motivation needs more pressure behind it. Sometimes a scene does the job mechanically but lacks emotional weight. And sometimes, the draft gives me a gift I didn’t fully understand while I was writing it. A passing line becomes important. A minor interaction reveals a deeper tension. A character says something that points toward the heart of the book before I’ve consciously identified it.

Revision is where I get to recognize those gifts and make them intentional.

One of the most satisfying parts of revising a mystery is tightening the structure. Mystery readers are wonderfully sharp. They notice details. They remember what was said three chapters ago, sometimes even three books ago. They follow the emotional logic of a character’s behavior and the practical logic of a clue trail. That means every scene needs to earn its place. During revisions, I look closely at what each chapter is doing. Is it advancing the investigation? Deepening character? Increasing tension? Revealing something about the world? Ideally, a scene does more than one of these things at once.

That process can be demanding, but it’s also deeply satisfying. There is a real pleasure in seeing the machinery of the mystery begin to work more smoothly. A clue lands better. A suspect becomes more layered. A twist feels less like a trick and more like an inevitable surprise. The goal is not simply to hide the answer from the reader. It’s to create a fair and engaging puzzle that rewards attention while still delivering a satisfying reveal.

Hazel’s adventures also ask me to think carefully about how the magical elements interact with the mystery. Her whim and her family lore cannot function as shortcuts. Hazel, Poppy, and Holden (the three living Glenmyres) need rules, limits, and consequences. In revision, I pay close attention to whether their magical abilities add depth and tension rather than solve problems too easily. The magic should complicate their lives as much as it helps them understand it.

That balance matters to me. I want whims to feel meaningful, but I also want Hazel’s intelligence, courage, and persistence to drive the story. She is not passive in her own series. She is a business owner, a niece, a friend, a partner, and an amateur sleuth learning how to carry the weight of what she knows. Revisions give me the chance to sharpen that emotional arc and make sure Hazel is not simply reacting to events, but growing through them.

There is something deeply rewarding about returning to a manuscript with fresh eyes and seeing not only what needs fixing, but what is already working. Revision is not punishment for an imperfect draft. It is an invitation to make the book more fully itself.

And with every pass-through, I get to understand Hazel, Poppy, and the Glenmyre legacy a little better. For me, that is the joy of revision: taking the raw material of inspiration and shaping it into a story that feels polished, purposeful, and alive.

And speaking of a story that feels alive, check out the book trailer Get a Candle on Crime below!