Wow! You’ve written an entire novel.

Sit back and bask in the glow of your achievement. Reward yourself. Whether it took one month or five years to write, you've done an amazing job. You've reached a milestone and that's a big deal, something worth celebrating.

Is it ready to send out to agents? Probably not, but don’t let that spoil your success. You’ve done the hard work. You've reached the end. You’ve got this!

What next?

When you're ready, read through your first draft. Jot down the answers to the following questions to act as a reference point for when you start rewriting, foregrounding the themes, and deciding whose story it is.

• Who is the narrator? Whose point of view does the story follow? If the answer is more than one character, jot down all their names.

• Who is your main character (or characters)? How do they change between the start and the end of the story?

• Are the main characters believable? Does the way they behave make sense? If they behave in a way that feels unnatural or out of character, will the reader be able to join the dots and understand why?

• Have you left any gaping plot holes?

• What is the story about? Plot and theme. Knowing the plot is helpful when you write the synopsis and or blurb. Understanding the theme(s) will help when you are rewriting. What are you trying to tell people? What do you want them to take away from the book?

• Are there recurring motifs? What are they and what do they mean?

• Does the tension build? Are there crisis points? What do they look like and when do they occur?

• Does the overall structure of the story have a beginning, a middle and an end? Is the first page exciting? Will potential agents/publishers/readers want to keep turning the pages? Do any parts of the story bore you with unnecessary details or information?

• Showing vs telling? Have you managed to show your characters in action, or have you simply reported what happens (told) without allowing readers to get under the characters’ skins?

• Is there a satisfactory ending, tying up the loose ends? If it is part of a series, do you have a cliff-hanger that will ensure readers buy the next book?

• Does every chapter add to the story or develop a main character?

• What is the best title for your story?

How do you feel?

Do you have a better grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of your novel? Which parts need work?

Do you feel overwhelmed? Don’t be. The hardest part is over. You have a plot – now you’re strengthening it.

If you can’t answer the questions, you might be too close to your baby.

Try leaving the draft for a while. Try again after a month (or six months).

Or hire a developmental editor who will read your story and produce a report that details the strengths and that parts that need more work. Critique partners or beta readers may be willing to help for free, but developmental editors have invaluable experience and skill if you can afford to hire someone reputable.

Once you know the strengths and weaknesses, you can start the process of rewriting.

Here are some things that may or may not be relevant:

Characters

• Do you provide physical descriptions of your characters?

• Could someone create a psychological profile of your main character from what you’ve included?

• What does each character represent in relation to the theme of your novel?

• If there is back story, does it reveal/explain motivation?

• Are the characters real enough?

• Can you reduce the number of narrators without losing vital parts of the story?

• Can you amalgamate characters, so each provides more of the important elements?

Theme(s)

• Foreground the theme(s) of your story.

Themes reflect a universal human truth: redemption, love, revenge, greed, freedom, survival, self-awareness, etc.

Leo Tolstoy is quoted as saying - “The most important thing in a work of art is that it should have a kind of focus, that is, there should be some place where all the rays meet or from which they issue.”

That focus is your theme.

• Ensure that the main plot events either converge on or emerge from your theme. This may involve cutting parts of the first draft that do not support the theme or actively go against it.

• Look at individual scenes and see how you can play with dialogue, action, setting to support your theme.

Motifs

Recurring motifs can repeat across your stories. I frequently reference water – rain, showers, lakes – as a metaphor for washing away sins or guilt. You may do something similar. Motifs can be powerful if they reflect your theme. Even if they don’t reflect the theme, they can be interesting from a psychological viewpoint.

Other things to check

Is your story exciting? Are any chapters boring? Can you up the stakes or increase tension to keep your readers engaged?

Fill in any plot holes – how did Character X get that gun? How was Character Y injured? When did Character Z learn that his wife was cheating?

In emotionally important scenes, show the action rather than simply telling the reader. Telling and showing are both valid ways to progress a story, but balance is important.

From “The Art of Fiction” by David Lodge -

“The purest form of showing is the quoted speech of characters, in which language exactly mirrors the event (because the event is linguistic). The purest form of telling is authorial summary, in which the conciseness and the abstraction of the narrator’s language effaces the particularity and individuality of the characters and their actions.”

It’s time to open a door

You have strengthened your story, ensured your characters are as full as possible and murdered your children by ruthlessly cutting any sections that don’t progress the plot, themes or characters.

What do your readers think?

Many authors rely on critique partners and/or beta readers. When your story is as strong as you can make it (for now), getting a second opinion can be very useful. Criticism can be painful but try not to get defensive. Most beta readers are generous and genuine in their feedback. They are giving you their time to help you improve your craft.

You don’t have to use every bit of feedback. If someone says X doesn’t work you should do Y instead, re-examine that part of the story – this is especially true if more than one reader points to the same part. Beta readers are great at identifying problems, but their solutions are rarely right. You must decide the best way to solve the issue(s).

Summary

Write for yourself, revise for readers. There is still some work ahead. This is when you can polish your work and make it shine.

Next Week

Editing.

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Carmilla Voiez is a horror and fantasy author. Her novels have been published by indie publishing companies including Vamptasy Publishing, CHBB and Stone Circle Publishing and her short stories have been included in anthologies by Crystal Lake Publishing, Clash Books, Weird Punk Books, Stitched Smile, Siren Magazine, and Dragones Mecanicos. She has a first-class degree in creative writing and English language, a diploma in proofreading and editing, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders.