2nd Round Editing

After my first draft, my first round of editing is about getting the story right and sharp. In that round, I focus on getting the character, its conflict and the resolution of that conflict correct and smooth.

My second (and usually last) round of editing is more technical and focused on finishing. Here is my checklist for 2nd Round Editing:

2ndroundediting

– if there are many scenes, separate them with a ***
– Starting two words capital letters
– British spelling and grammar, he said, not said he. one not 1

– add setting. weather, objects, senses, time and date to every story and create contrast and tension. use senses of the main character to show emotion
– smell, sound, colour, light, heat/cold/rain/weather

– if story has many scenes, identify inciting incident, plot point two, climax, resolution

– identify the focus character (protagonist) in every story and the opposing character (antagonist)

– show don’t tell, this is very important. make the reader feel with the senses all through the story
– use similes.. looks like, sounds like, smells like, tastes like, moves like, feels like..as tall as.. as fast as.. as pretty as..

– end of the story shouldn’t be tell, it should be show and don’t tell the conclusion. let the reader deduce himself on reading. it has to leave him thinking.

– use italics for forceful words, for numbers, for Indian words etc.

– use flashback and backstory carefully, reveal only what is required, give clues but don’t reveal

– induce tension (character worried about something) and conflict (character struggling or fighting against something)

– use symbolism for the literary touch, applied with a light brush

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