Especially when line editing, the tiniest of tweaks can make a huge difference to your prose, dialogue, action beats, and so on. As I’ve line edited my thriller manuscript and sifted through line edits given to me by a professional editor, I have both learned and been reminded of essential yet simple principles and tools of editing.
I’ve longed to share what edits I’ve come across in my fiction writing, hence this blog post on twenty-one simple self-editing tips you can apply today to your own writing. Each tip is small but mighty in practice—perfect for all fiction writers and authors, whether learning how to edit for the first time or refreshing established skills in anticipation for another round of edits.
These tips are some of the tools I use and edits I watch for in my own writing. Some are short, others more specific. Tell me which tip is your favorite in the comment section below!
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21 Self-Editing Tips for the Fiction Writer
1. Weak Verbs
Change any weak verbs to stronger forms. Example: Change walked to strode.
2. Generic Words
Don’t use a generic word when a more specific word would work better. For example, looked can be categorized as a weak verb that could be strengthened (Tip #1). When finding a stronger verb replacement (like glanced, stared, or gawked), be specific. A glance is drastically different than staring or gawking at someone or something. Choose the verb that best describes the character’s action.
3. Work Smarter
If you find an error that you know spans throughout your book, make use of your document search tool or bulk find-and-replace functions.
4. Grammar Question?
Reference The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition (affiliate link) whenever you are unsure about grammar, punctuation, or capitalization. (Publishers will have their own in-house styles, but CMOS 18 is a recognized standard to follow.)
5. Repetitive Sentence Structure
Have three or more sentences in a row that look similar in structure? Mix up the types and number of clauses.
6. Cut the Clutter
He nodded in agreement. Nodding obviously infers agreement. Now, if the character is nodding but doesn’t look like they are agreeing, that is a different situation—see Tips #13, #19, and #20.
7. Delete “very”
Try to find a better descriptor or adjective before adding very.
8. Avoid Word Repetition
Don’t use the same word (like drove) or another form of the word (like driver, driven) multiple times in close proximity. Mix things up.
9. Nail the Vibe
Struggling to find that right word? Use a thesaurus like Wordhippo.com
10. Delete Folder
Unsure about a new rewrite? Save your old scene draft in a delete folder.
11. Take Notes
As you progress through edits, don’t forget to take notes on items you need to revisit after some thought, research, or speaking with your critique partner. Also, update existing notes with facts or timelines that have changed due to multiple rounds of edits.
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12. Compound Words
Hyphen, closed, open? Check Merriam-Webster Dictionary for the correct form. If no entry is found, reference The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition (affiliate link). (Publishers will have their own in-house styles, but CMOS 18 is a recognized standard to follow.)
13. Be Precise
Don’t write the character “reluctantly turned away.” Instead, show what the reluctance looked like. A sigh? One last, extra long gaze at something before turning away? Show, don’t tell.
See also: “What Does ‘Show, Don’t Tell’ in Writing Actually Mean?”
14. Sentence Tempo
Writing a super tense scene? Get your pacing right by utilizing shorter sentences, fragments, and short paragraphs.
See also: “Story Pacing: The What, Why, and How for a Fiction Writer”
15. Beware Floating Body Parts
Floating body parts happen when it sounds like a body part is acting independently from the character.
“Leaning her elbows on her knees” sounds like the character is placing her disconnected elbows on her knees. Correct: “She leaned forward, elbows on knees.”
16. Telling Words
Especially when writing in a close POV, avoid telling the reader what is going on (e.g. She wondered, she watched, she hoped). Instead, just tell the reader what she wondered or saw or hoped.
Bonus Tip: Wondering is easy to fix by turning the wondering into a question. Incorrect: “She wondered why she had confided in him.” Correct: “Why had she confided in him?”
17. Clear & Concise
Incorrect: “She began rubbing a scar on her hand.” Correct: “She rubbed a scar on her hand.”
The character is either doing something or isn’t doing something. Cut words like began and started in this form when you can.
18. Semicolon Trap
In general, avoid semicolons in modern fiction. (I overuse them so much! I think it’s because I love classic writing styles like Charles Dickens and Jane Austen😂)
19. Emotion Naming
“His neck reddened in embarrassment.” The reaction to the emotion (neck reddening) is sufficient. No need to name the emotion embarrassed.
Similarly, instead of writing that a character is “filled with unease,” show how that uneasy emotion manifests. Does she fiddle with a pen, pick at the hem of her jacket, tighten her jaw? This connects to Tip #20.
20. Visceral Reactions
Show emotions through visceral reactions like shaking hands, racing heart, jaw clenching, throat burning, etc.
A great place to find visceral reactions to emotions is The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression (Second Edition) by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi (affiliate link).
21. Foreign Words
While it can differ from publisher to publisher, often the first occurrence of a word in a foreign language should be in italics. After that, roman type is fine.
I’d love to know—
Which self-editing tip is your favorite, or which one do you need to apply to your manuscript the most? Let’s support one another in the comments!
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S.J. Siedenburg is a thriller & fantasy novelist, an editor, and a bibliophile with a passion for stories and helping writers finish their novels. She’s the author of the guidebooks Character Presentation, Before the First Draft, and the How to Write a Novel online course. Six of her short stories have been published through writing contests. Sarah lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” —John 1:5