{"id":6911,"date":"2012-11-29T03:00:25","date_gmt":"2012-11-29T11:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=6911"},"modified":"2012-11-28T22:44:01","modified_gmt":"2012-11-29T06:44:01","slug":"how-to-edit-your-novel-in-3-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/29\/how-to-edit-your-novel-in-3-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Edit Your Novel in 3 Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"from<\/a><\/p>\n

Hats off to all the NaNoWriMo writers as you finish up the month!<\/p>\n

After writing your novel — be it a romance, mystery, thriller, fantasy, horror, or science fiction — and letting it sit — I let my novels sit for 1 year — edit your novel in layers. (Steven Pressfield inspired this post since he also edits his books in multiple layers as he explains here<\/a><\/strong>.)<\/p>\n

Instead of tearing through the knots,\u00a0I liken editing my novels to brushing tangled hair, a bit at a time.<\/p>\n

In bite-sized pieces here are my 3 steps. I call them “passes.”<\/p>\n

1st pass: Clarity of Language<\/strong><\/p>\n

As you read your manuscript this first time through, ask yourself, “Is this clear?” And sometimes, “What did I mean here?”<\/p>\n

Add sensory detail so your readers can see, hear, taste, feel, and smell. Use at 1 to 3 senses to bring your scenes to life.<\/p>\n

2nd Pass: Why? And, So What?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the second pass, pay attention to your character arcs and make sure each character’s motivation is clear. So ask WHY did he do that? or, Why does she want that?<\/p>\n

Also SO WHAT? What’s important about this scene? That character?<\/p>\n

You want your readers to identity with your characters and loose themselves in your story.<\/p>\n

3rd Pass: A Page Turner?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this third pass, read with an eye to story flow. Are you engaged? Do you want to turn the page?<\/p>\n

Many things go in to making readers turn the page.<\/p>\n

Here are my 3 essential elements:<\/p>\n