12 Tips for Successful Editing – Miss Write


9/12/2015


0 Comments

I’m a writer based in South Wales, with an unhealthy obsession with stationery and baking. I mainly blog for my own sanity, but I’m also working on a novel. Still. 

November 2021

September 2021

August 2021

July 2021

June 2021

May 2021

March 2021

February 2021

December 2020

October 2020

September 2020

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

April 2020

March 2020

January 2020

December 2019

July 2019

June 2019

May 2019

April 2019

March 2019

August 2018

April 2018

March 2018

May 2017

April 2017

August 2016

December 2015

November 2015

October 2015

September 2015

August 2015

July 2015

June 2015

May 2015

April 2015

March 2015

February 2015

January 2015

December 2014

November 2014

October 2014

September 2014

August 2014

July 2014

June 2014

May 2014

April 2014

March 2014

February 2014

January 2014

December 2013

November 2013

October 2013

September 2013

August 2013

July 2013

June 2013

May 2013

April 2013

March 2013

February 2013

January 2013

December 2012

November 2012

October 2012

September 2012

August 2012

June 2012

May 2012

April 2012

March 2012

February 2012

January 1970

All

April 2013 Blog Challenge

Baking

Being A Mum

Blog Hop

Books

Campaigns / Charity

Christmas

Competitions

Contemporary Fiction

Craft

Cycling

Ebooks & Apps

Environment

Events

#fail

Films

Fun Life Stuff!

Gifted Reads

Guest Bloggers

Halloween

Holiday Reads

International Women’s Day

Lockdown

My Wedding

My Writing

Out And About

Poetry

Random Inspiration

Rant

Reading

Reviews

Social Media

Treasured Reader

Wedding

Well Being

Well-being

Women Writers

Writing

Writing Tips

12 Tips for Successful Editing

Leave a Reply.

Author

Archives

Categories

  • If it’s fiction, are the characters plausible? Do they sound real?
  • Are the themes working? What is the one big message of your book? How do the sub-themes relate to it?
  • Is it tightly written, where every word carries meaning and builds the picture? Or is it full of waffle that needs to be pared down? Make every word count. 
  • Double check your spelling. ‘Form’ and ‘From’ are both words spellcheck will recognise but they might be incorrect in that sentence. 
  • Are there any excessively long sentences you can cut in two?
  • If it’s how-to, are the instructions clear for the level of skill you’re writing for? i.e. for beginners, intermediate… Do the steps come in the right order? Do you have a contents page? Does the manual have illustrations or photos? Is it inspiring and encouraging as well as informative?
  • Is there enough description to create vivid images in a reader’s mind? Is it groaning under the weight of too much description? Show, don’t tell, but make sure it’s balanced – like Barbara Kingsolver
  • Is your formatting standard all the way through? If not, make sure there’s a reason for this which enhances the readers’ experience. 
  • Cut ‘in order to’. You never need it. If you’re going to the kitchen in order to make a sandwich… Your sentence could be tighter. Because you’re really going to the kitchen to make a sandwich.
  • Same goes for the word ‘currently’. Cut it. If someone is working as a sous-chef, they are there currently and it doesn’t need to be highlighted twice. 
  • Are there holes in the plot, or anything you’ve hinted at early and then forgotten to tie up?
  • If it’s memoir, is it engaging? Will anyone care what you did, and why? Check out this great blog on writing a memoir people actually want to read from Stand Out Books


Miss Write