If you have finished writing the first draft of your book & you think you can relax & sit back, think again.
Your work has just begun and the road to publishing your book is long and arduous. Before you send out your manuscript for edits you need to revise it and then revise it again.
Why? Because you are sure to have missed out on plot holes, gaps in the story, character development, & other weaknesses apart from grammar & syntax of course.
Here are some tips which will help you revise:
1. Take a break & step back from your book.
2. After the break read it all over again (reading aloud helps) without making revisions.
3. Look out for plot holes.
4. Be ruthless; kill your darlings. Cut out scenes or dialogues which don't move the story along.
5. Reconsider each character & review how you have developed them.
6. Don't aim for perfection. Revising & Editing can be a never ending process.
7. Revise & check flow, atmosphere, plot logic, characterisation, dialogue, everything that is mainly verbose.
8. Get in the mind of the reader & eliminate anything that slows down the pace and timing.
9. Make your own rules as you go along. There are no set rules in fiction.
10. Keep at it till you are sure & proud of your work.
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