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Congratulations on completing the initial draft of your story! It’s a moment filled with relief, joy, and perhaps a touch of exhaustion. Now that this major step in your writing process is completed, it’s time to shift gears and move on to the next phase.

Now… you have to EDIT!

But how do you edit? The whole process can feel super overwhelming and confusing if you’ve never done it before! Never fear! I will spend the next couple of posts breaking down what I personally do in this stage of writing.

The Process:

1. Put it AWAY! Putting your manuscript away after writing “the end” for the first time can be challenging, especially since it marks a significant milestone in the writing process. Taking a break at this stage is vital for gaining a fresh perspective before starting the revision process. This distance from your work can help you evaluate it more objectively and identify areas for improvement. Keep in mind that this break is not a pause in your progress, but an essential step toward refining your manuscript.
2. 2. First read. Take a couple of hours or days to re-read through your manuscript. Don’t write anything new, don’t fix anything – just re-absorb the story and make mental notes about the highs and lows. What works for you as a READER (not a writer), and what does not.
3. 3. Second Read. Pull out those colored pens and go through your manuscript again (I prefer to print it out at this point), marking away. If you feel like the story took a weird turn somewhere and you need to fix it, go ahead and get everything out there on paper. Fix it. This is rough and time consuming, but essential for the next part.

The next part is the BETA READ. Keep your eyes open for my next post all about my experiences with Beta Readers and how to take their feedback and incorporate it into your novel.

All my best,

RL PLATT