Edit Your First Draft Like a Pro: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Revision Process

First drafts aren’t meant to be final drafts. (There’s a reason for the word “first”!) They’re messy and unorganized. But that’s okay! When you sat down to write, you were getting the story out of your head. You knew that you would edit your first draft later.

Now it’s “later” and it’s time to face the mess. Your first edit will probably be the biggest clean-up job of your whole writing process. A lot of writers give up and quit at this point.

I don’t want you to give up. I want you to succeed! That’s why I wrote this post on how to edit your first draft like a pro.

Let’s dive in.

How to Edit Your First Draft

Step 1: Take a break.

The first step is so important! It’s going to be hard because you’ll want to read through your story immediately after finishing. However, you should set your draft aside for a few weeks or even a couple of months so you can revisit it with fresh eyes. This will ensure that you don’t overlook any big-picture problems.

Step 2: Read through the story to get the big picture. (Developmental Editing)

The key here is not to make any changes yet. You want to see the big picture of your story, taking notes on changes you want to make or new ideas you may want to add. You’re taking in the whole story and determining if the pieces work well together to deliver the message. This isn’t the place where you start to edit your first draft to make changes.

Developmental editing focuses on the following:

• Plot
• Characterization
• Point of View
• Pacing
• Dialogue
• Readability
• Themes

Before you start digging in and editing technical errors, you need to focus on structural issues first. One way to do that is by creating chapter maps.

Step 3: Create chapter maps.

Chapter maps tell the who, where, and what of each chapter. They’re the outline of your story.

If you didn’t create an outline before you started writing, that’s okay. You can do it now.

On index cards or sheets of paper (one card or sheet per chapter), make a list of information that includes:

• Who: Who are the characters in this chapter? Who are the characters communicating with?
• Where: Where is this chapter set? Be specific! (e.g. Lily’s bedroom, moves to Lily’s kitchen, etc.) Does the location change? List all the settings that readers will move to throughout the chapter.
• What: What is the main purpose of this chapter? Is this chapter a follow-up to the previous chapter? Is it building up to a cliffhanger? What does this chapter lead to?

*Helpful Tip: Number your cards or papers in case they get messed up!  

After creating your chapter maps, lay them all out in front of you in the order they occur in your first draft. This way you’ll be able to see your book’s structure and be able to move scenes around easily (and cut or add scenes or chapters if needed).

*Helpful Tip: Write subplots on different color index cards.

Step 4: Use your chapter maps to find the structural issues.

The chapter maps that you created will help you find the main issues in your first draft. You’ll use the map to look for issues with the plot, characters, setting, pacing, missing details, etc. This will be a lot faster than reading through your draft a million times without knowing what you’re looking for.

Here’s what you’re looking for:

Issues with the plot

Ask yourself these questions about the plot of your story:

• Can these events happen in real life?
• Does the attention-grabbing event happen early enough in the story to hook the reader?
• Are there any errors in the sequence of events?
• Can the plot arcs be traced throughout the whole story?
• Are subplots easy to follow to the end?
• Are there any plot holes that need to be filled?
• How is the story structured? (Chapters, different sections, etc.)
• Is the story structure working well or can it be strengthened in some way?
• Is there enough conflict throughout the story?
• Are the risks high enough?
• Why are certain events happening? Have I effectively described what set the events in motion?
• Does each event improve the story and help it grow?
• Is the plot complex enough to support the story until the end?
• Is the plot too complicated?

Issues with characters

Take a look at your characters and ask yourself:

• Who is telling the story?
• Are the characters’ motivations clear enough?
• Are the minor/support characters developed enough?
• Is there a character you’d like to see become more well-known?
• Is the way the characters talk believable? Does it show their background and how they were raised?
• Is the reader given a reason to feel empathy for the characters early on and what happens to them later in the story?
• Do the characters’ developments and changes coincide with their experiences?
• Is the reader able to see the protagonist at their best and their worst?
• Have I created the characters as detailed as possible? Can I add more backstory?
• Do the characters’ backstories affect the plot? How?
• Is there anything else I can do to make it more difficult for the protagonist?
• Is the way a character reacts to an event realistic?
• Is each character right for the role they play?
• Does the story contain both likable and not-so-likable characters?
• Is the protagonist active enough?
• Are the characters’ traits unique and consistent?
• Are the characters’ descriptions consistent?

Issues with the setting

While considering the setting of your story, ask yourself these questions:

• Is there a strong sense of place? Can I make it stronger?
• Are there elements of history and culture?
• Does the setting coincide with the events that are happening?
• Is the setting captivating enough that the reader wants to spend time here?
• Have I described the setting using different senses? (e.g. sight, sound, feel, etc.)
• Are the setting details realistic? (e.g. climate, weather, etc.)
• Are the settings consistent? (e.g. number of rooms in a building)

Issues with pacing

Pacing is the story’s speed or rhythm. Here are some questions to ask yourself about pacing in your story:

• Is the pacing consistent? Do the subplots, climaxes, and tensions work in the order they are currently in?
• Is the speed of unfolding events suitable for your target reader and genre?
• Are the major events given the importance they need?
• Is there enough description so that the reader feels like they are really in the story?
• Is the description lacking to the point where there’s a lull in the story?
• How can the tension be built further in the turning points of the story?
• Are the beginning and ending of the story gripping enough?
• Do the beginning and end of the story suggest enough information without giving anything away?
• Are there too many action scenes back-to-back?
• Are there chapters overloaded with too much detail?

Other issues to consider

• Can the reader relate to the story?
• Does each chapter start and end with a hook?
• Are the content, language, and tone appropriate for the targeted reader?
• Is the point of view consistent throughout different scenes?
• Is there one section of the story that overpowers the rest? (Try to narrow it down.)
• Do the characters’ thoughts, dialogue, and actions fit well with the setting and description?

Step 5: Make necessary changes.

Here is where you will start to edit your first draft. While going through your cards, start making changes in a different color pen (such as red) so you can see it easily.

Fixing structural issues may seem overwhelming, but here are some tips to help:

Make sure your characters feel real.
Readers cannot physically see the characters in your story. Therefore, it’s up to you to show your characters to the reader. This can be done through a character’s body language and voice.

Have you given the reader enough reason to care about your characters? Are their backstories and motivations adequately developed? Do they seem like a real, complex, living, breathing person?

Ensure your characters are shaped by the events of the story.
Events that take place in the story should shape your characters in some way. As the story develops, characters should be learning more about themselves and the world they’re living in.

Explore your themes thoroughly.
More than likely you’ve written your story because you have something to say. Have you said it? Be sure to cover a range of different perspectives and multiple complexities. Include teasers and cliffhangers to keep the reader engaged. Be sure to go as deep as you can!

Keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
Does the reader have a reason to keep turning the pages? One nail-biting moment in the story isn’t enough to keep the reader engaged until the end of the novel. You need to ensure that there’s tension in almost every chapter and know where that tension is coming from. Give your protagonist a problem to solve to add pace and excitement.

Step 6: Update your manuscript.

Now that we’ve gone through the steps of how to edit your first draft, you’ll want to start working on a second draft. By this point, you should have found the main issues in your novel and worked on how to resolve them.

To update your manuscript, simply copy and paste your manuscript into a new document (name it something you’ll remember, such as “title_draft2_date”). Now apply all the structural changes you’ve made. Don’t forget to save it!

Step 7: Format your novel.

Some authors argue that this isn’t the best time for formatting your novel, but it’s honestly the easiest time to do so.

Before you read your novel through, format it:

• Number the pages
• Place your name and book title in the header
• Double space between lines
• New Times Roman 12-point font
• Indented paragraphs
• Proper dialogue

*Helpful Tip: Formatting your book from the start will make it easier for you to read through, edit, and take notes.

Step 8: Read your novel as a reader.

Take off your writer’s hat and put on your reader’s hat. For your first read-through, you need to get in the mindset of a “normal reader” and try to see your novel as though it was written by someone else.

Don’t read the entire novel at once though. Spread it out over a few days. If you start feeling like a writer again and want to fix things, put the novel down and come back to it later. The fixing comes later.

It’s okay to take notes as you’re reading, but this isn’t the time to deal with fine details or fix typos. The first read-through is all about seeing the big picture.

Ask yourself:

• Does the story flow?
• Is there something that needs more information?
• Does everything make sense?
• Does the pacing work?

*Helpful Tip: If you’re able, print your novel so you can visualize your story as a reader instead of a writer. Reading it on paper will help you see your words differently.

Step 9: Create a style sheet.

A style sheet, or style guide, is a document that outlines style standards for a publisher to maintain consistency. It’s like a cheat sheet for working on content. The content in your style sheet overrides any recommendations in traditional style guides, such as The Chicago Manual of Style.

A style sheet can be broken into sections such as:

• Spelling
• Punctuation
• Formatting
• Capitalization
• Speech/Dialogue/Internal Thoughts

The purpose of a style sheet is to preserve your voice. It will help you refine your story to professional standards.

Also, creating a style sheet makes the copyeditor’s job easier. The more you help them with your writing style, the more they can focus on mechanical issues. They have more time to spend on polishing your writing to make it shine.

Step 10: Copyedit your manuscript.

Copyediting is when you enhance the manuscript at the sentence level. At this stage, you’ll be looking for:

• Correct spelling and punctuation
• Grammatical errors
• Proper syntax
• Consistency
• Accuracy
• Formatting issues

There are programs (e.g. spell-checker in Microsoft Word and Grammarly) that are supposed to catch errors, but don’t rely on them. They often miss a lot of mistakes. It’s best to consult a dictionary, such as Merriam-Webster (USA).

*Helpful Tip: It’s so easy to overlook your own mistakes because you’re familiar with your own writing. Sometimes it’s best to hand your manuscript over to a trained professional to double-check for errors and mistakes you may have missed.

Step 11: Choose beta readers to read your manuscript.

This step is entirely optional, but it’s highly recommended.

Beta readers use their critical eyes to read your unpolished manuscript. They will provide feedback on your overall story, the characters, the plot, the setting, and sometimes grammar and spelling. They may offer solutions you never even thought about. A good beta reader will make your work stronger, and you want your novel to be at its best before you send it to publishers.

Reedsy has a great article on choosing beta readers as does TCK Publishing.

Step 12: Read through your manuscript one last time.

By now, your manuscript has gone through a structural edit, a copyedit, and critiques by beta readers.

Now it’s time to do one final read-through to make sure all the changes that have been made work well and haven’t caused new issues to come up.

Step 13: Proofread your work.

The last and final step of editing a draft before sending it to publishers is proofreading. You want to ensure that you’re sending them the best possible version of your work so that you look professional.

Typically there is no revision after the proofreading stage unless there are a lot of spelling and grammatical errors.

*Helpful Tip: You can do the proofreading yourself, but remember – it’s so easy to overlook your own mistakes. I highly recommend sending your project to a trained professional proofreader to look over your work and fix any mistakes. Proofreaders are not only there to help you polish your manuscript, but they’re advocates for the reader as well. They help build trust between you (the writer) and the reader by ensuring accuracy and clarity. If you publish a book full of spelling mistakes, it makes you look unprofessional and readers will overlook you the next time they’re looking for something to read.

What to read next:

• Story Setting: How to Create a Captivating Setting
• How to Create Central Conflict in Your Fiction Novel
• How to Ensure Unique Character Voices in Your Writing

Books I recommend:

*As an Amazon affiliate I earn a teeny tiny commission if you make a purchase. (And I mean tiny!)

• Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft Omnibus: A step-by-step guide to a better novel
• How to Edit Your Novel: Self-Revisions for Authors Made Easy
• The Five Minute Author: How to Edit Your First Novel