If there’s one thing in the writing community that seems to cause overwhelm and confusion, it’s self-editing one’s manuscript.
Many new writers have the false belief that the first draft of their story is supposed to be publication ready, clean of errors and a gripping read—a home run, a slam dunk, a touchdown (plenty of sports analogies for you to pick).
Let me squash that belief right now.
Dead.
Like a bug.
Your draft is just that, a draft, the first writing of your story with your inner editor turned off. Some people call it vomiting on the page. Ew! A bit too gross for me.
You’re simply getting the story from your head to your computer (or however you choose to write).
Why writers shy away from self-editing
I think the main reason many writers shy away from self-editing is because they misunderstand what it involves. Maybe they think it only involves correcting grammar and punctuation. If you struggle in those areas, I can understand why you wouldn’t want to self-edit (professional editor to the bullpen!).
It’s so much more than that.
What Self-Editing Really Is
Merriam-Webster defines edit as: to prepare (something, such as literary material) for publication or public presentation; to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose.
This is something both a writer and a professional editor do.
I often use revise synonymously with edit. Merriam-Webster defines revise as: to look over again in order to correct or improve; to make a new, amended, improved, or up-to-date version of.
Again, both writer and editor do this.
Whether you want to think of preparing your manuscript for publication as self-editing or revision, it doesn’t matter. What you are doing is refining that story to be the best you know how to make it.
I took a look at many of these items last month, but now, let’s taker a deeper dive.
10 Basic Steps for Self-Editing Fiction
Whether you outline or write by the seat of your pants, you need to start your self-editing with big picture items. Whole books have been written that cover self-editing. This post is going to give you the basics to get you started. The order in which you examine these items is strictly up to you.
1. Let it rest, then read it through.
After completing your draft, step away from your story for a month (or at least a week). Give yourself enough time to forget all those little details your brain thinks it included. Then read the whole thing through from the perspective of a reader reading it for the first time. Take notes on things you notice.
2. Examine Plot
- What is your protagonist’s story goal?
- What conflicts does he/she meet throughout the story?
- Do those conflicts grow in intensity?
- What is the climax of the plot?
- How does your protagonist deal with the climactic event?
- What is the denouement, aka resolution?
3. Examine Story Characters
- Are they well rounded, three dimensional?
- Do you show physical, emotional, mental, and back story aspects of your characters?
- Does the protagonist have flaws?
- Does the antagonist have at least one likable attribute?
- Can your reader bond with the protagonist?
- Are your characters acting and reacting in ways that seem forced or natural for that character?
4. Point of View
- Are you consistent with POV in every scene?
- If writing in first person, can that character actually see and feel what you are describing?
- If in third person, are you head hopping—describing the thoughts of other characters.
5. Story Setting and Mood
- Have you set the story stage? Where does your story take place? If you write fantasy, examine this closely.
- If writing historical fiction, setting the story time is essential.
- Do you use words that help set the mood of the story/scene?
6. Show Versus Tell
- There is a time for both.
- Show must far outweigh tell.
- Here’s an article that explains what it is and how to fix it.
7. Dialog
- Is the dialog natural?
- Can you differentiate the characters by their dialog?
- Do you have too much or not enough?
- How does the dialog of your scenes contribute to story advancement?
Here is an article on 9 aspects of dialog from best-selling author Cecil Murphey.
8. Scenes
Like your book, and like the chapters, every scene needs a beginning, middle, and end. Can you pick them out?
- Are the right characters showing up in your scenes?
- Is there some kind of conflict to every scene?
- How does each scene advance the story?
- Does the pace of each scene fit what’s happening in the scene? An action-packed scene is going to be fast paced (more short sentences).
9. Theme
Not all authors include theme in their stories.
- If you have a theme, what is it?
- Were you able to identify that theme in your first read through?
- Did another theme seem to present itself as you wrote the story? If so, what did you do with it?
- Have you used thematic elements or are you preaching your theme?
10. Finally, after you’ve made revisions that fix the big picture issues, it’s time to line edit.
- Read line by line ensuring you’ve
- Used just the right word to communicate what’s needed
- That modifiers are in the right place
- That pronouns have the correct antecedents
- That you’ve used correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
I often like to print out a manuscript I’m editing. It’s amazing what you see on the printed page that you don’t notice on the screen. And you can make all kinds of notes on a printed copy that you can’t as easily mark online.
What aspects of self-editing trouble you?
Leave your comments and questions below.
Next week, I’ll take a look at self-editing for nonfiction.
Recommended resources:
Revision and Self-Editing for Publication by James Scott Bell, includes the Ultimate Revision Checklist. Kindle: $9.99
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition, by Renni Browne and Dave King. Print: $14.99, Kindle: $10.74
My book 7 Cheat Sheets to Cut Editing Costs is a quick guide that discusses several big picture items as well as the big issues in punctuation. Print: $7, Kindle: $2.99
My Character Profile Template is a free pdf resource that will help you build strong characters.
My biggest frustration is failing to see the flaws in my own work. When my work is professionally edited, I don’t want to make the suggested changes, but when I do I see how it improved things. How can I be objective enough about what I wrote to edit it as well as a professional reading it for the first time?
Cindy,
Failing to see our own flaws is why it’s so important for a professional edit, or at the very least beta readers. And being objective is hard. I think that’s where stepping away from your story for a length of time is important. It allows our emotions and connection to the story to cool off. And you will never achieve a complete objectivity–it’s your baby after all.
When you dive in to this task, remember your purpose: to write the best story you can write. You may want to experiment with how you think about that self-edit to make it less painful. You’re not cutting your baby apart, but providing nutrients for it to grow to maturity.
Also, remember that you don’t have to make all the suggested changes an editor offers. Thoughtfully consider them, maybe even give them a try. But as Juliet Marillier says, “if you know in your heart of hearts that a particular revision is just wrong, and no compromise is possible, then explain this to your editor.”