6 Main Categories For Editing Fiction (Self-Edit Like a Pro: Part 3)

When I'm performing an Editorial Review for a client, I break down the process into different categories. Many people think editors read through a manuscript once and just make their notes on the side as they go along. This couldn't be further from the truth. It takes several read-throughs, each time assessing a different aspect of the book. After all, editors are only human, and we can only hold so much in our heads at once!

Try reading through your manuscript, analysing character development, looking out for plot holes AND making sure you didn't include any inconsistencies all at the same time!

Quick note: An Editorial Review is similar to a developmental edit, however, it is not as intense. As a writing coach, I use an Editorial Review to guide my writers through the developmental/content edits they may need to make. In a developmental edit, an editor would most likely tell you what to change. I try to guide your to the right changes so you can learn to sharpen your own editorial eye and make similar changes by yourself on future projects!

This blog post will break down the various categories I use when I go through a fiction manuscript (Don't worry, Non-Fiction writers! I will address your categories in the next blog post!)

1. Character Analysis

You can have an amazing plot, a mind-blowing climax, and gorgeous descriptions that swallow your reader right into your world... but these things mean nothing if your characters aren't right.

Problems with characters can be pretty extensive - too many, too few, irritating main characters, unrealistic characters, and pointless characters. Believe me, a badly developed character can ruin your entire novel.

When I assess characters I look out for the following things:

Do all main characters have the right motivation? Do their goals make sense with their personality?
Are the characters consistent? You can't have a character (who spent half the book hating kids) suddenly want to babysit a friend's baby - unless you have a very good reason.
If characters do end up doing, saying, or thinking something unexpected, does the writing guide the reader through this so it seems plausible and not out-right confusing and unrealistic?
Do the main characters (especially the protagonist) have room for development? They have to change throughout the novel and the reader has to be guided through this change.
Are the main characters both likeable and relatable? You can't have a protagonist your reader hates, because they need to want them to succeed. At the same time, your protagonist can't be too perfect. They have to have certain flaws which will make them relatable - Elizabeth Bennet's refusal to relinquish first impressions, for example.

2. Plot and Pace

When I get to this category, I take a huge step back and have a look at the overall plot. If there is a plot (believe me when I say, sometimes you can have 100,000 words and NO plot!) does it make sense? Is the build-up to the climax well-paced, or does it take too long? Does the resolution to the conflict make sense with everything the writer has placed in the earlier sections of the book?

I also look for plot holes. Did the character who has never had a driving lesson suddenly jump in a car and drive flawlessly? Does a character realise they have no milk in the house AFTER the scene you wrote which shows him buying milk at the supermarket?

You get the idea.

Another important aspect of plot is sub-plots. These are all the mini storylines that happen throughout your book but aren't your main focus point. For example, your main plot may be a mother's attempt to bond with her daughter during a trip around the world. Simultaneously, you could have the daughter struggling with her studies and scared she'll fail her school exams, whilst the mother deals with complicated feelings about her ex-husband, the daughter's father.

All of these sub-plots need to work seamlessly with the main plot without taking over the whole book. You also need to make sure all your sub-plots are wrapped up nicely by the end of the book (unless you're dealing with a series, in which case, different rules apply!)

3. Consistency

Now, this is a big one, and you have to be really careful and extremely thorough. Your book needs to flow consistently and without contradictions. Trust me, it's harder than it sounds, especially after you've gone through so many re-writes. This is another reason why a detailed outline can be so useful!

So, what kind of contradictions are you looking for? These could be simple contradictions - did you describe your main character with golden locks of hair in chapter 1, only to have her tie back her raven tresses in chapter 8? Or you could have complicated contradictions such as your protagonist always turning left when exiting his dorm room at college on his way to the library, but in chapter 5 when he's hiding from the antagonist, he whizzes past his dorm on the right and then goes to hide in the library.

Needless to say, you have to be incredibly focused when hunting for contradictions!

4. Language use and audience suitability

When a client wants my opinion on a manuscript, one of the first things I ask them is: Who is your book for?

The language you use has to fit the audience you are writing for. There is no point n writing a lengthy, essay-style chapter book for 5-7 year olds. And the same goes for using simplistic language in an adult book.

However, it's not just the types of words you use that need to align with your audience; your content and subject matter also needs to be in sync with the people reading your book.

If you're struggling to work out who your audience is, think about what you want your reader to take away from your book. What message are you trying to send, what emotions are you hoping to stir?

5. Dialogue

This is always tricky for a lot of writers. Making dialogue sound realistic and not wooden is a mighty task, because we do not talk in the same way we write. Usually, writers fall into one of two camps - they either prefer writing dialogue, or they prefer writing the narrative passages!

The main question you need to ask yourself about dialogue (despite whether it sounds real or not) is whether it furthers the story. Dialogue in a book needs to be to the point. We may have a lot of small talk in our real lives, but that stuff is boring when written down!

One of the easiest ways to spice up your dialogue is to add a mini-conflict. You could have your main character seeing a old friend who simply wants to know what your character has been up to lately. Now maybe your character is feeling pretty anti-social that day and doesn't want to share much, but the friend persists and continues to ask probing questions. How would your character respond?

6. Presentation

Finally, presentation. Believe it or not, there is more than one way to present your novel. Some just like to number their chapters. Some prefer titles to their chapters. Some don't want chapters at all and simply split up their novel into volumes with scene breaks.

If you have flashbacks in your book, how will you structure and present them? Will they have a chapter to themselves? Serve as an opening or ending to a chapter? How will you make them distinguishable from the present scenes?

The number and length of your chapters is also something to consider. Do you have a few really long chapters that could do with breaking up into multiple chapters? Maybe your chapters are all just one or two pages.

There is no right or wrong way to structure and lay out your novel, but it has to be right for your story. A fast-paced crime novel could benefit from shorter chapters, for example. Just make sure you format your layout properly and clearly. This is actually one of the first things I do when assessing any big changes, as well as one of the final things I do before sending a manuscript off to it's copy-editing stage.

Phew!

There you have it. The 6 major editing categories for a deep and thorough edit of your manuscript! Just work through them one at a time, don't rush, and as always - get in touch if you have ANY questions or need some extra help!

@: k.stottandrew@gmail.com
Insta: @khadijahwrites
FB: Facebook.com/khadijahhayley

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@: k.stottandrew@gmail.com
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