10 Editing Tips For Authors

1. Leave it alone

Don't start editing immediately after finishing your first draft. Leave it a few weeks or even a few months. Approach it in much the same way as any reader would and correct accordingly. Remember editing is just as important as writing the first draft. 

2. Don't look at everything and think it's rubbish

Be brave. Don't be scared. Accept that mistakes happen. It's normal for authors to write poorly at times but that doesn't mean that it's all garbage. A writer has to learn to look for the green shoots of progress and to nurture them. Keep what is good and then mould the rest into something that is worthy of being published. Don’t give up. 

3. Always look for plot holes

Ask yourself: does this storyline make sense? Would something else work better or be more exciting? What would the reader find more believable? Writing novels is all about managing the reader’s expectations. Don’t expect them to suspend their disbelief too many times. Write like a winner, not a beginner.

4. Make your character as realistic as possible

No 2-D characters please. Give your characters flaws that they must overcome by the end of the book. This makes your writing not just more believable, but it also reflects reality - people are flawed, and your protagonists must reflect this. Respect your reader.

5. Always look to cut.

Stephen King says that he looks to snip 2000 words from his manuscript. Cut off the flab to ensure a smoother, quicker read for the reader. Remember less is more when it comes to fiction. Make every word count. 

6. Pay attention to your paragraphs

No winding, meandering rivers of prose please. It’s not the nineteenth century anymore. Readers expect the books they are reading to be more like Hollywood movies. The writing should tick along accordingly. Break up your prose to build pace, excitement and suspense. Look at which sentences could be broken off to stand on their own.

7. Avoid any unnecessary adverbs

Ideally, you should only use an adverb - particularly in dialogue - to inform the reader of something they would not have known otherwise e.g using the adverb "cheerfully" to describe someone's speech if they are normally dull and dour. But as a general rule adverbs should be left on the cutting room floor. They are the hallmark of average writing. 

8. Avoid any unnecessary prose

Cut anything that doesn't add to the story or if it repeats what you've already said. Make each word count for something. The reader understood the first time you said your protagonist was depressed, they don’t need to keep seeing it on the page - they have a memory! 

9. Make sure your dialogue is realistic

Make it as close to real life as possible. I die every time I see "Graham and I", instead of "me and Graham" when I know from their background that the character wouldn't speak so perfectly. Likewise a kid from the Bronx wouldn't converse like an Oxford don. Remember also, that in real life people constantly interrupt and talk over each other. Remember this when editing your novel. These are the things that readers notice every time. 

10. Keep editing

Don't stop until it's the best that you can make it. Don't get bored half way and then send it to the publisher regardless. If it takes ten read-throughs then that's what it takes. Typically for every day of writing you should be looking to spend one day of editing. Remember- editing is just as important as writing. 

Final Word

If you have any comment to make on the content of my blog please do not hesitate - I love a good discussion!

If you want to check out my novel - Jack Strong and the Red Giant - about a 12 year old boy's adventures on a spaceship check out the link below:

Jack Strong and the Red Giant