Polish & share · Tip 71 of 82 · 5 min read
Editing: Make Your Story Shine
Your first draft is just the start. Here's an easy checklist to polish your story.
Did you know that even famous authors don't get it right the first time? Their first try is called a first draft, and they change it many times before it becomes a book. Fixing and improving your story is called editing, and it's where good stories become great.
Take a break first
When you finish writing, put your story away for a day if you can. When you come back, you'll see it with "fresh eyes" and spot things you missed.
Read it out loud
This is the number one editing trick! When you read aloud, your ears catch mistakes your eyes skip over: missing words, sentences that are too long, and bits that sound clunky.
Your editing checklist
- ✅ Does my story have a clear beginning, middle and end?
- ✅ Does my character have a problem to solve?
- ✅ Is my first line a good hook?
- ✅ Have I shown feelings instead of just telling them?
- ✅ Did I use powerful words at the exciting parts?
- ✅ Does each new speaker start on a new line?
- ✅ Have I checked spelling, capital letters and full stops?
Okay 😐
the dog was very big and it was very scary and it went to the boy and the boy was scared.
Wow! 🤩
The enormous dog bared its teeth. Step by step, it crept toward Leo. He froze.
Cut the extra bits
Sometimes editing means taking things out. If a part of your story is boring or doesn't help the plot, it's okay to cut it. Your story will be faster and more exciting.