Unlock your writing potential with self-editing tips. Learn how to refine your draft for impactful storytelling.
Some Practical Advice For Self-Editing
Draft first. Get your story, article, opinion, or poem on the page. Don’t judge yourself.
Read it over.
What do you like? What do you want to change? What do you want to add?
Do another draft that makes adjustments based on your responses.
Read it over.
Ready to do some self-editing before you share it? These questions might help. If they don’t, hand them to a writing partner and ask her opinion.
- Do you care about the main character?
- Are there conflicts?
- Could the plot go in more than one direction?
- Is a setting suggested?
- What makes the description exceptional?
- How does the pace help tell the story?
- Is the dialogue believable?
- Is the tone appropriate?
- Is there a message or theme?
- Does the main character change?
- Given the subject and situation, is there an appropriate balance of dialogue, action, narration, and reflection?
- What makes this story unique? What makes it universal?
- Would you buy this book or story? If not, why not?
- If you hadn’t written this story, would you remember it tomorrow?
- Is language used effectively?
- Does the author make exceptional use of word choice, imagery?
- Are right and wrong complex? Is there more than one way of looking at the issues?
- Are the characters likeable but flawed?
- Will readers identify with one or more characters?
- Was the writing clear and accessible, too dense to fathom, or somewhere in between?
Looking for a starting place?
Scroll through our past Writing Advice pages for topics or look at the Latest Contest on Writer Advice. Questions? It’s easy to reach me through the contact box on the home page. Scroll to the bottom to find it. Research other opportunities by searching the Internet for contests in your genre or use our Contests and Markets page.
Let us know what’s working and what questions you ask yourself.
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