How to Edit Your Novel

Sure, anybody can write a novel. Putting words to paper is the easy part. Making that novel coherent and readable is a different story altogether. Here are a few steps to editing your own story.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• An open mind
• A good grasp of language

1. Don't.
   If you think you can edit your story to send to a publisher and believe you don't need professional assistance, think again. This how to is how to get it ready to send to an editor.

2. Get to know your language. Buy books. Read them. Know the difference between a dangling and misplaced modifier. Learn what homonyms and synonyms are. Avoid passive voice. The more you know about your language, the easier it is to write coherently, and thus the easier it is to self-edit.

3. Read, then re-read your novel. Read confusing parts aloud. Ask a family member to read it aloud. Listen to what is being read, not what you thought you wrote.

4. Put the book away.
   Once you have edited your book until your "i"s have crossed and your "t"s have dotted, put it away. Leave it alone for several months (yes, I said months). Don't give in to the temptation to look at it again for at least four to six months.

5. Take it out and read it again.
   Things that you thought you put in and words you thought you wrote differently will suddenly stick out like a sore thumb. Once you have read it once more, it will be time to send it to a professional editor.

Tips & Warnings

• Read step one, then read it again. A person who has written a story will miss literally hundreds of errors in his or her story because he has tried to edit it himself.
• Friends and family are your allies, not your enemies. If you ask one to read your story, let them give you their honest opinions without getting angry or upset. These are the people who know you best and want the best for you. If they say something that might need to be changed, or even if they say "Don't quit your day job," they are not doing so out of spite, they are trying to save you from pain or embarrassment. Listen to them with an open mind.

[FireOpal]

on 2/11/2009 You know, claydog, I pick out people who I know don't really like me or feel they are in competition with me to read the articles because they are usually more critical, not less. You have to develop a tough skin so that your story getting shredded by a person doesn't destroy you, but if you can do that, you will find those are the people with the most valuable insights.

[claydog1]

on 11/2/2008 A tip that always works for me is to only edit printed copies of my work (as in printed out on paper and not on the computer). Something about being able to physically mark it up makes it easier for me to find and correct errors.

Just because your work is understood by the first five people who read it does not mean it's clearly written. So *definitely* have it read by as many people as possible, and, preferably, by people who will be very critical and even harsh--if they just want to make you feel good they will avoid the conflict of pointing out mistakes.