Editing. That one stage in writing where most of us resist, but where the real magic comes to life. A polished draft doesn’t just come from your amazing plot, but also from structured revision.

Firstly, understand:

There is a difference between editing and revising.

Revising is improving your story’s overall structure, flow, and content. You might change large sections of the text, like rearranging scenes, adding new plot points, or deepening character development. This is when you focus on big-picture changes, such as enhancing your theme or tightening your pacing. Revising is like sculpting your story into its best shape.

Editing comes after revising and is more about fine-tuning. This is when you look at sentence structure, correct grammar errors, fix awkward phrasing, and make sure your spelling is spot-on. Editing polishes your work and ensures that everything is clear and precise for the reader.

In short: revising improves what you say, and editing improves how you say it.

1. Taking A Break From The Story

Before you touch that red pen or cursor, give your draft some breathing room—at least a day, preferably longer. Fresh eyes will help you read what’s actually on the page, not what you meant to say.

This is extremely recommended by professional authors all around the world. Spending time away from the manuscript allows you to come back to it with a new perspective, noticing potential errors that might have been missed during the initial writing phase. This also avoids burnout on the same story and writer’s block.

Pro tip: Work on a different scene or project in the meantime to stay productive without clouding your judgment.

2. Read Like The Reader

Do a read-through without making changes. Take notes instead:

Where did you get bored?

Which sections felt clunky or confusing?

Are there logical gaps, timeline issues, or emotional beats that feel unearned?

You can annotate digitally or use the comment feature in Word/Google Docs to mark spots without interrupting flow. It works even better if you’re open to letting others read your story.

3. Cut, Trim, Condense

Your job in this phase is to tighten the prose. Focus on:

Redundancy (“She nodded her head” → “She nodded”)

Getting rid of rambling sentences or overly descriptive passages

Avoiding unnecessary modifiers. Words like very, really, just, a bit, kind of often weaken a sentence.

4. Structure Check

Zoom out. Make sure your chapter or story structure is working:

Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end?

Does each scene have a goal, conflict, and consequence?

Are your character arcs developing logically?

This is where you may need to rearrange scenes or even cut/add entire sections. It’s painful—but necessary.

6. Dialogue Polish

Make it natural. People don’t always speak in perfectly structured sentences. Interruptions, pauses, and unfinished thoughts should be included to reflect real conversation. A little is effective, too much is over exaggerated. I’ve read many works where there are overly too many stutters, so make sure you apply it generously.

I know you’ve heard this and I’m going to say it again. SHOW DON’T TELL. Instead of telling readers what a character is feeling, show it through their words, tone, and actions.

Ensure each character speaks in a way that reflects their personality, background, and current mood.

Example: An intelligent character might use formal or complex language, while a laid-back character might use more casual or contracted speech (maybe even some uses of slang terms).

7. Wordsmith Pass

Enhance imagery. Look for opportunities to enrich descriptions with more sensory detail and metaphors. E.g. Instead of saying “The sky was blue,” try “The sky stretched out in a brilliant azure, cloudless and endless.”

Be specific with nouns. General nouns can be vague. Choose specific nouns that make a more vivid picture. E.g. “The dog barked” becomes “The terrier barked” or “The German shepherd barked.”

Replace clichés! Swap overused phrases with original or more precise language. E.g. “cold as ice” can turn into “cold enough to numb her skin”.

8. Proofread Last

Only after structural edits are done should you look for:

Typos

Grammar mistakes

Formatting issues

Spelling errors

Consistency in character names, place names, etc.

If you do this too early, you’ll waste time fixing sentences you might later cut. As a bonus proofread, you can test this on anyone or even share it with a group. Don’t just ask, “What did you think?” Ask:

Where did you get confused?

Were there scenes that dragged?

Did the character decisions feel earned?

Remember, this may be the most irritating and painful step in this process, but good stories are never written once!