"With every refinement in writing, I'm coming nearer...

How do you edit a novel?

"With every refinement in writing, I'm coming nearer to where I would like to arrive" ― William Zinsser
Easy! Cross out all the words you don’t like

By Dr Charley Barnes

The alternative to that is, of course, much more long-winded but likely much more useful, too. In the same way as writing a novel, editing a novel can also be done in many different ways. There isn’t a one-stop way of getting your work into the best shape and, similarly again, there will be ways that work better for certain projects than for others. 

A good starting point for editing any project, though, is to go about it brick-by-brick.

Have a pen and paper to hand and get ready to start a read-through of your written handiwork. A cover-to-cover read-through, like you’d go about reading any other book. The reason for having a pen and paper to hand while you’re doing this is because during this read-through you can start scribbling down all of the things you’re not quite happy with.

Now, you’ve effectively got a list of things to fix – or at the very least, a list of things to double-check and another read through. Here comes the brick-by-brick part!

If you’ve noted down a collection of things relating to characters (for example), you’ll find yourself in a position to go back and fix those things you wrote down. Then, do another read-through. Focus on character again and give a keen eye to the things you noted down the first time around. Are they still issues, or are there others to address now?

Then, repeat as needed for: plot; consistency of voice, and tone; use of descriptions…

In short, you can repeat this process as needed for any areas that you think are problem ones for you. Okay, you’ll be sick of the sight of your work by the end of it (but, I hate to break the news, you’ll likely get to that point no matter how you go about editing things). 

An obvious drawback to this is that it can be quite a time-consuming process (especially after the weeks, months, even years you might have spent writing your story or novel). 

A quicker way to edit is to give your work one read-through and fix problems as you spot them. At the end of this you’ll have something like a clean draft that’s ready for readers or editors, and anyone else you might like to send the work to (adoring fans and family members, for instance). You run the risk of having more work to do further down the line, though, so it sometimes rests on whether you want to edit now or edit later. 

To be clear, though, you do have to edit.

There will always be some smart Alec somewhere along the line that tells you this lie: “I didn’t edit it. The whole novel was published as I wrote it.”

Really? I mean, come on, really, Alec? There wasn’t even so much as a typographical error in the whole of that 85,000-word manuscript?

It’s an urban myth that writers publish full novels without touching a word of it. So, before someone lets you feel bad for actually wanting to improve your work – because that’s all editing is, improving and polishing – remember that editing means you’re aiming to put out the best manuscript you possibly can by editing it so thoroughly, and that makes you a fine writer!

And here's the wonderful author of this week’s post

Dr Charley Barnes

Worcestershire Poet Laureate 2019-2020

Visiting Lecturer | Newman University and University of Worcester

"I'm a poet, author and academic based in Worcestershire, UK, and I do love a good sit-down conversation about writing. At present, I'm a lecturer in Creative Writing and English Literature and I work at a number of institutions around the West Midlands, most recently University of Worcester and Newman University. When I'm not teaching I'm likely writing - Charley Barnes for poetry and C.S. Barnes for fiction - or I'm editing, either at the Dear Reader poetry journal or as the Personal Essays and Creative Non-Fiction Editor at Mookychick. I've devoted my career to writing and I've loved every second so far! It makes me sincerely happy to pass on a few pearls of wisdom that I've picked up along the way." 

Thank you Charley for these wonderful tips

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Here's some more helpful advice with editing your works of fiction or novel:

Keith Wheeler

, 5-Time International #1 Bestselling Author & YouTuber

You can, and should, absolutely edit your own book.

I’ve found the key to effective self-editing is to do it in stages/rounds. After you right the first draft, step away for at least a day, though I usually step away for a week. This will help clear your mind and give you a fresh set of eyes before you begin self-editing.

Next, you’re going to read through the book, don’t worry about typos, just focus on story, make notes of things that don’t sound right, possible gaps in the story structure, character arcs, etc.

Remember, there’s a difference between editing and proofreading. Proofreading is when you focus on typos, grammatical errors, etc. That comes later. Right now, you want to make sure the story flows, sounds right, “fits in” with the genre, yet still stands out.

After you’ve made your first round of edits, then I suggest going through and proofreading the book. In addition, you can use tools like grammarly, to help catch as many proofreading issues as possible.

Now, self-editing and proofreading is great, but at some point, you will need a third set of eyes to review your book and give you HONEST feedback. I completely understand that many people do not have the discretionary funds to hire an editor. Don’t worry, there are other opt.

Once you’ve fixed your typos and grammatical errors, reach out to some beta readers. Beta readers are fans of the genre that are willing to read your book, for free, and provide honest feedback. You can find beta readers on social media groups and forums that pertain to your genre. You’ll want to try and find about 3–5, so you can get multiple views on your content. Note: don’t worry about spending money sending out numerous copies of your book, simply send out digital copies(.doc or .pdf files usually work great) to your beta readers.

By picking readers familiar with the genre, they’ll be able to let you know if your book really fits in with the genre and/or if your missing any necessary tropes. Once you hear back from your beta readers, you can review their feedback and decide what suggestions, if any, you’d like to implement.(after all, it’s your book and you make the final decisions on it)

Editing your own book should be a part of your writing process even if you plan to hire a professional editor. Here are eight steps to follow during the edit of your work:

And heres some help from Reeta Chauhan.

1. Take a Break From Your Story.

When you’ve finished your manuscript, take a break before you begin editing. According to Stephen King in his book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, when he finishes writing a first draft, he puts the story in a drawer for six weeks before pulling it out to edit. Putting some distance between you and your story allows you to come back with fresh eyes and a clear mind.

2. Read Your Story out Loud.

Hearing a story read aloud can highlight any mistakes in a manuscript. Read your story to yourself or to a friend. You can also record yourself reading it and play it back. Keep a copy of your book open on your computer, revising any grammatical issues you hear or making story revision notes to revisit.

3. Do a Big-Picture Pass.

Your first self-editing pass should be a developmental edit. Look for any issues with the storyline. There should be a logical succession of plot points that creates the flow from beginning to end. Find plot holes that need to be fixed. Make sure your subplots integrate well with the main story. Make sure your main character and secondary characters are three-dimensional with clear motivations and believable traits. While looking at character details, make sure your point of view is consistent throughout your story.

4. Zoom in to Edit Scene by Scene.

Make sure every scene has a purpose, like driving the plot forward, escalating the conflict, or aiding character development. As you break down the scenes, go over dialogue and trim any unnecessary banter. Make sure the opening is strong and the climactic scene is satisfying and ties up all of your loose ends.

5. Be Your Own Copy Editor.

On your next pass, check the structural integrity of your copy. Go line-by-line and fix the basic mistakes. Use spell check. Make sure you only have one space between sentences. Fix punctuation and grammatical errors. Also, find and replace words that you repeat too often in your story, known as crutch words. If you find lines written in passive voice, rewrite them in the active voice. Finally, check your sentence structure and word choice always keeping in mind that simple is better.

6. Check for Accuracy.

If you’re writing a work of historical fiction or a non-fiction book, you need to make sure the information you present is accurate. Find sources for every statistic, true story, or fact you include in your book to make sure you have it right.

7. Get a Proofreader.

Once your edit is complete, hire a proofreader. It never hurts to have another set of eyes go over your story one final time. Proofreading can catch typos you might have missed.

8. Format Your Manuscript.

Before you send your manuscript off to a literary agent, make sure it’s formatted correctly. If you’re not sure how a particular agent or publisher prefers a manuscript, use the industry standard book formatting guidelines. Your book should be on a Microsoft Word document, with 12-point Times New Roman font, double spaced pages, no indents on new paragraphs, and page breaks between chapters.