On Editing

redjohn-nydepp:

This was forwarded to me by a former colleague who attended a course on how to publish/edit a book. You probably already know most of these tips, but there might be something you’ll find helpful, who knows…

QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING FIRST PHASE OF EDITING

GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK (what the story is and how it is being told):

• What is the book about? What is the driving force behind the narrative?
  
• Who is the audience for this book?
  
• Is it based on real experience?
  
• Does the story work? Are there any parts that feel unconvincing or where the narrative drags? 
• Are there any parts I don’t understand?
  
• What is the trajectory or the shape of the story?
  
• Does the story start in the right place?
  
• How quickly do I become immersed in the book?
  
• Are there any points where my immersion in the story is broken, or I lose interest?
  
• Do I believe in what I’m reading?
  
• How satisfying is the ending? Does it feel inevitable?
  
• Does it feel like anything is missing?
  
• Is there anything extraneous (characters, detail, unnecessary plot points)?
  
• What is the narrative point of view (first person, second person, third person)? Does it change? Is it consistent? Does it work? What might be lost or gained if the story were told another way?
  
• Is the tense consistent? If it changes, is it necessary?
  
• Does coincidence feature as a plot device? If so, is there another way to engineer the same events?
  

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