Self-Editing Tips from a Developmental Editor

I’ve been editing books for about twenty years, and during this time I think I have edited more than 600 books. This has allowed me to create a workflow that can be replicated time and again. It is mostly based on a series of questions that can be applied to each book in turn.

It recently occurred to me that if I cleaned up my notes, and edited the result, I could create a small roadmap that can be applied to editing your own work (self-editing).

Below is a revised list of questions.

These questions reflect the kind of thinking I use as a developmental editor when assessing a novel. They are not exhaustive, but they do cover the areas where most manuscripts tend to struggle: structure, character, pacing, clarity, and purpose.

Self-editing takes effort. It is a skill, and like any skill, it improves with practice. At first, the process can feel overwhelming. That is normal. The key is not to fix everything at once, but to work steadily and methodically.

Here’s my suggestion for how you should approach editing your own work.

Go through your manuscript one chapter at a time. Read with these questions in mind. You can use them as a guide, or as prompts to help you look more deeply at the chapter. In most cases, you will need several passes, with each pass focusing on a different element, such as structure, character, or pacing.

Chapter Purpose

Start with the first chapter in your book and ask yourself these two questions…

1. What is this chapter really doing? What is the purpose of this chapter?
2. Does every piece of information earn its place by serving plot, character, setting, or theme?

The goal of these questions is to get you really thinking about the role of the chapter and its elements. It is essential that each word, sentence, and paragraph of your novel is either developing the plot or developing a character. If they are not doing this, then what’s the point of keeping them in the book?

Below these big questions are some smaller, linked questions.

• What is the main theme, idea, or message in the chapter? This could be something like love, betrayal, ambition, freedom, or responsibility. This is the big concept for the chapter. This is not always going to be obvious and sometimes a chapter is just developing the wider message of the book.
• How is that theme developed? What techniques, images, conflicts, or choices bring it forward? Here you are trying to get a handle on what each element of the chapter is doing and why. If there’s a battle scene, what’s its purpose? What is each element of the chapter actually doing for the wider purpose of the novel?
• How does the chapter connect to the wider story? Does it support the novel’s larger purpose, or does it feel disconnected? In addition to the purpose of the chapter, there is still the purpose of the whole novel. Think about how this chapter fits and develops that wider purpose.
• What are the key events in the chapter? How do they move the story forward and connect with what comes before and after? Think about each beat in the chapter and think about what wider goal they are helping to develop.
• What conflict is present? Is it internal, external, or both? Does it deepen, shift, or resolve by the end of the chapter? Conflict is the bread and butter of storytelling, and without it you will be writing flat and boring chapters.
• How does the chapter show character change? Do a character’s choices, understanding, or emotional state develop in a meaningful way? Change creates movement. This will help your book to feel as though it’s progressing. Remember, change can be small, tiny in fact, but it needs to be there from chapter to chapter so the characters feel as though they are growing and developing.
• How do the characters interact? What do these interactions reveal about relationships, power, tension, or emotional undercurrents? This is a good question to apply to your writing since it will help you to see characters as interlinked and real. It will also help you to remain consistent in how you present the characters.
• Does the chapter include exposition or background material? If so, is it delivered naturally, without stalling the narrative? Avoid backstory dumping at all costs. It is always better to tell the story via the words and actions of the characters and not via the narrative summary.

Structure and Flow

A chapter needs shape as well as content. These questions help you to refine your chapter.

• How does the chapter begin? Does it draw the reader in and establish what matters quickly?
• Do the scenes or ideas unfold in a logical and satisfying order?
• Does each section lead naturally into the next?
• How does the chapter end? Does it create momentum, offer resolution, or set up the next development?

Character development

The next step is to think about the characters. They should feel active, clear, and emotionally believable.

• How are new characters introduced? Is their function in the story understandable?
• Are you providing sufficient character description?
• Do the characters behave in ways that feel consistent with who they are?
• Are their actions dictated by clear motivations?
• Do they change in ways that feel earned? In other words, a character should not alter their internal motivations unless there is a clear external catalyst.
• Does the dialogue sound natural?
• Does the dialogue reveal character, deepen conflict, or move the story forward?

Setting and world-building

Setting should do more than decorate the page. It is important that each chapter builds a real and believable world.

• Are the settings clear, specific, and purposeful?
• Do you provide sufficient location description?
• Do they help create mood, context, and atmosphere?
• Does the setting influence the action, the choices characters make, or the tension within the chapter?

Pacing and tension

Pacing is often where self-editing makes the biggest difference. You need to look at each paragraph carefully and apply the following questions:

• Does the chapter move at the right speed for the kind of scene it is? For example, action scenes should move fast, often with short paragraphs and sentences.
• Are moments of intensity balanced with quieter moments where the reader can absorb what has happened?
• Is tension maintained throughout the chapter?
• Does each scene give the reader a reason to keep going?

Language and style

Once the structure is working, look at the writing itself. This is often more about consistency.

• Is the tone consistent with the rest of the book?
• Does the voice sound like you, and does it suit the story you are telling?
• Are the sentences clear, precise, and engaging? Don’t get too obsessed with this, but keep it in mind as you read.
• Can anything be made sharper, simpler, or more direct?
• Is the tense consistent? You would be amazed how often this is an issue.

Tropes

I am a HUGE fan of tropes. When writing genre fiction these are the elements that are going to make your work feel safe and familiar to readers. If there was one bit of advice that I don’t hear enough, it’s know your tropes.

• What recognisable tropes or story patterns appear in the chapter?
• Are they being used intentionally?
• Do they feel fresh, or are they being handled in the most predictable way?
• Is there room to add specificity or surprise?

Cliches

The best way to think about a cliche is as an overused trope. It’s worth checking for at both the story level and the sentence level.

• Are there overused ideas, stock character types, familiar emotional beats, or repeated phrases?
• Do they weaken the chapter’s originality or emotional effect?
• Would a more specific choice make the writing stronger?

These are not all the questions I use, but they give you a good idea. Remember, this is not a checklist, you are not looking to answer all the questions. It’s OK to decide some questions are just not right for a chapter.

The key is to be deliberate and to understand why a certain question may not apply.

Self-editing is not about making your manuscript perfect in one pass. It is about learning to see your work more clearly. The more often you ask these kinds of questions, the more instinctive the process becomes.

If you want to self-edit well, slow down, stay honest, and focus on one problem at a time. That is how manuscripts improve.