Have you made it clear what your characters
want?
From the guy on the street who smiles into the
interview camera at the scene of a crime, to the villain of the piece, have you
made sure that it is clear what the characters in your novel want?
Have editing equipment on hand:
Such as dictionaries, thesaurus, or encyclopaedias
on hand, or bookmarked on your computer if you are editing on your computer or
with your computer. You should also have highlighters, multi coloured index
cards, spreadsheets and post its on hand depending on what method you are using
for editing.
Have I included all the senses in my writing?
You need to include all the senses you can in your
writing, seeing, hearing, taste, touch, smell, are they all there?
Have I covered everything that needs to be
covered with the character and plot?
During this read through, make sure that you have
everything in the novel pertaining to the plot and character that you need to
move the story forward. If you find yourself thinking “Oh I forgot to put the
trap door in earlier” make a note of it and add it in the next draft.
Have you had enough dramatic moments?
As you read through your novel, ask yourself, do you
have enough dramatic moments, that can change the character through revelations? From the Hook through to the Payoff, have you succeeded in doing what you set out to do?
Have you removed all unnecessary summaries?
You know the bits you put in to explain why this is
all happening, as if the reader were not paying attention…also note if you have
done this…you might want to rewrite the section so it’s as clear as day.
How long should the novel be?
A novel should be about 100,00 words, most writers seem to
prefer to keep all their chapters at about 5,000 words and have approx. 15 – 20
chapters. Some writers however maybe only 1,200 words long or 6,000 words long
depending on the pace of the story or plot development.
