{"id":8393,"date":"2025-04-30T16:28:21","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T15:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.novlr.org\/the-reading-room\/?p=8393"},"modified":"2025-05-03T16:39:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-03T15:39:51","slug":"how-can-i-streamline-my-editing-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.novlr.org\/the-reading-room\/how-can-i-streamline-my-editing-process\/","title":{"rendered":"How can I streamline my editing process?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“How can I make my editing process quicker and less stressful? I feel like I\u2019m spending way too much time on it and not really getting anywhere, so I\u2019d love some tips on how to keep it simple and actually productive.<\/em>“<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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I think that most writers have a love\/hate relationship with editing. It feels so good to see your manuscript go from a rough draft to something really polished, but at the same time, the editing process itself is painstaking and laborious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The editing phase can feel like wandering through a maze without a map. Every writer has been there, staring at their manuscript, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work ahead. But editing doesn’t have to be a source of stress. With the right approach, you can make your editing process both efficient and effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Break it down<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While some writers thrive taking a do-it-all-at-once approach, this isn\u2019t one that works for everyone. If you feel overwhelmed, you can try to divide your editing into distinct passes, each focusing on a specific aspect:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Story Structure – Focus on plot, pacing, and narrative flow.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Character Development<\/a> – Examine character arcs and relationships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Scene Level – Look at individual scene construction and transitions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Language – Analyse word choice, clarity, and style.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Technical – Look at grammar, punctuation, and formatting.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    By tackling one element at a time, you’ll catch more issues and avoid feeling overwhelmed. And you also don\u2019t need to do them back-to-back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When I do my first editing pass, I look at only story structure and character development. After draft 2, I look at a scene level analysis, with some attention paid to language. If I need to, I\u2019ll repeat this for as many revisions as I need, leaving a deep-dive on language and the more technical proofreading aspects until my final draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Create a system<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    No two writers write alike. Your process will be as unique to you as the writing you produce, so never take someone else’s routine as gospel or as the only \u201cright\u201d way to approach it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What you will need to do is experiment. Try different things. See what works for you, and what doesn\u2019t. Things you can try might be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Set clear goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Before each editing session, define what you want to accomplish. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n