Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

1. Master the Art of Showing, Not Telling

You want to draw your readers into the world you've created, make them feel a part of it, make them forget where they are.

Immerse the reader. Showing involves creating immediate scenes with specific settings, characters, and dialogue, allowing readers to experience the story firsthand. This approach is more engaging than telling, which relies on narrative summary and secondhand reports. For example, instead of saying "Amanda was disgusted by the hotel room," describe the room's peeling paint, musty odor, and stained furniture.

Transparency and engagement. Showing creates transparency by drawing attention away from the writer and toward the story. It engages the reader's emotions rather than their intellect, making them feel like participants rather than observers. Narrative summary, while efficient, can sometimes feel like a lecture, especially when used for exposition.

Balance is key. While showing is generally more effective, narrative summary has its place. It can vary the rhythm and texture of your writing, provide continuity, and handle repetitive action. The key is to use it judiciously, ensuring that the most important events and character developments are shown through immediate scenes.

2. Characterization: Reveal, Don't Summarize

When you present your readers with already-arrived-at conclusions about your characters, you leave your readers with nothing to do, and passive readers are at best unengaged and at worst bored.

Gradual discovery. Instead of introducing characters with lengthy personality summaries or flashbacks, allow their traits to emerge gradually through their actions, reactions, interior monologues, and dialogue. This approach mirrors how we get to know people in real life, creating a more engaging and believable experience for the reader.

Action over analysis. Avoid psychoanalyzing characters for your readers. Let their behavior speak for itself. For example, instead of saying "Eloise was a slob," show her fishing for clean clothes in a pile or crunching across a dirty carpet.

Unobtrusive techniques. Develop characters through dialogue, "beats" (descriptions of physical action), and by showing their views of the world rather than your views of them. This allows readers to form their own judgments and interpretations, creating a deeper connection with the characters.

3. Point of View: Choose Wisely, Maintain Consistency

Point of view is a powerful tool. Master it.

First person, third person, or omniscient. The choice of point of view (POV) significantly impacts the reader's experience. First person ("I") offers intimacy but limits perspective. Omniscient POV provides broad perspective but sacrifices intimacy. Third person strikes a balance, allowing for varying degrees of narrative distance.

Narrative distance. Within third person, narrative distance ranges from intimate (using the character's language and emotions) to distant (impersonal and detached). The degree of intimacy should be deliberate and serve the story's purpose.

Consistency is paramount. Stick with a single viewpoint character throughout a scene to avoid confusing readers. Jumping from head to head can be jarring and disorienting. If a POV shift is necessary, use a linespace to signal the change.

4. Proportion: Balance Detail and Pacing

Properly proportioned does not mean textureless.

Avoid over-description. Don't overwhelm readers with excessive detail, especially when describing mundane actions or pet interests. Leave room for their imaginations to fill in the blanks. Over-description can patronize readers and slow the pace of the story.

Story-driven detail. Ensure that the level of detail aligns with the importance of the element to the story. If a character or plot element receives significant attention, it should play a meaningful role in the ending. Avoid spending excessive time on insignificant details.

Character-driven detail. Let your viewpoint character's interest at the moment control the degree of detail in your descriptions. This adds authenticity and allows you to use description to convey character traits and emotions.

5. Dialogue: Craft Authentic Voices, Not Explanations

Every time you insert an explanation into dialogue, you're cheating your readers out of a little bit of one of your characters.

Avoid dialogue explanations. Don't tell readers how a character feels or what they mean. Let the dialogue itself convey the emotion and meaning. Explanations are patronizing and weaken the impact of the dialogue.

Use "said" almost exclusively. Resist the urge to use fancy verbs for speaker attributions (e.g., "he grimaced," "she chuckled"). "Said" is transparent and unobtrusive, allowing readers to focus on the dialogue itself.

Unobtrusive mechanics. Place speaker attributions at natural breaks in the sentence, use the character's name or pronoun first, and maintain consistency in how you refer to characters. When it's clear who is speaking, omit speaker attributions altogether.

6. Sound Matters: Read Aloud to Refine Your Prose

The eye can be fooled, but the ear knows.

Natural speech. Dialogue should mimic real speech, but it's an artificial creation. Use contractions, sentence fragments, and misdirection to make dialogue sound more natural. Avoid stilted language and shoehorning information into conversations.

Reading aloud. Reading your writing aloud is a powerful tool for identifying stiffness, awkward phrasing, and unnatural rhythms. Your ear will catch problems that your eye might miss.

Dialect with subtlety. Avoid relying on trick spellings and lexical gimmicks to convey dialect. Instead, use word choice, cadence, and grammar to create a sense of authenticity.

7. Interior Monologue: A Window into the Unspoken

One of the great gifts of literature is that it allows for the expression of unexpressed thoughts: interior monologue.

Show, don't tell emotions. Use interior monologue to reveal characters' thoughts, feelings, and motivations, but avoid overusing it. Too much interior monologue can interrupt the flow of the story and become tedious.

Mechanics of interior monologue. Never use quotation marks for interior monologue. Use thinker attributions sparingly, especially when writing from a close point of view. Consider using italics or a separate paragraph to set off interior monologue when necessary.

Balance and subtlety. Strive for a balance between dialogue, action, and interior monologue. Allow your characters' emotions to color your descriptions and actions, creating a seamless and immersive experience for the reader.

8. Beats: Action Speaks Louder Than Words

Beats are the bits of action interspersed through a scene...the literary equivalent of what is known in the theater as "stage business."

Purpose of beats. Beats are descriptions of physical action that serve to ground the dialogue in reality, vary the pace, and reveal character traits. They are the literary equivalent of stage business in a play.

Avoid overusing beats. Too many beats can interrupt the flow of the dialogue and make the writing feel choppy. Use them judiciously to emphasize key moments or to provide a sense of rhythm.

Fresh and unique beats. Avoid clichés and repetitive actions. Strive for original and revealing beats that illuminate your characters' personalities and emotions.

9. Breaking Up: White Space Enhances Readability

And what is the use of a book without pictures or conversations?

Visual appeal. Break up long, dense paragraphs to create white space on the page. This makes the writing more visually inviting and less intimidating for the reader.

Pacing and tension. Frequent paragraphing can add snap and momentum to dialogue, while longer paragraphs can create a more relaxed mood. Use paragraph length to control the pace and tension of your story.

Dialogue and speeches. Start a new paragraph for each speaker in a dialogue. Allow characters to interrupt one another and avoid long, uninterrupted speeches, unless they serve a specific purpose.

10. Once Is Enough: Avoid Unintentional Repetition

If you have some plot development that you want to come as a surprise, spend less space on it before you spring it on your readers.

Condescension and weakness. Avoid repeating information or character traits unnecessarily. It can patronize readers and make your writing seem weak.

Strengthen, don't dilute. When you try to accomplish the same effect twice, the weaker attempt is likely to undermine the power of the stronger one. Focus on doing it once and doing it well.

Subtlety and power. Use proportion to control your readers' response. Spend less space on plot developments you want to come as a surprise, and more space on elements you want to emphasize.

11. Sophistication: Subtlety and Skill in Mechanics

The goal of all this careful, conscious work is to produce a novel or short story collection that reads as though no hard labor were involved in producing it.

Avoid hackneyed constructions. Be wary of overused phrases like "Pulling off her gloves, she..." and "As she pulled off her gloves..." These constructions can make your writing seem amateurish.

Strong verbs and adverbs. Replace weak verbs and adverbs with stronger, more specific verbs. This adds power and precision to your writing.

Modern comma usage. String together short sentences with commas instead of periods to create a more natural and sophisticated rhythm.

12. Voice: The Unique Signature of Your Story

Be still the way Tolstoy is still, be still the way Anthony Trollope is still, so that your characters can become gods and speak for themselves and come alive in their own way.

Authenticity over imitation. Don't try to imitate the style of famous writers. Focus on developing your own unique voice by listening to your characters and telling their stories authentically.

Style serves the story. Let your style serve the story, not overshadow it. Avoid stylistic flourishes that draw attention away from the plot and characters.

Listen to your work. Read your writing aloud and pay attention to the passages that sing to you and the ones that fall flat. Analyze the differences and use that knowledge to refine your voice.

Last updated: April 11, 2025