Editing Fiction

A comprehensive and practical, no-nonsense writers' guide that will get your manuscript into great shape. Creative writing is what you used to get that first draft down. Now it's time to become objective about your creativity and learn how to edit. In the process, you'll develop the skills needed to deliver a satisfying story to your readers. Step-by-step, it takes authors through the process.

The structural edit will make sure your novel has the 13 Main Scenes a reader wants (even if they don't know it.)

The style edit will explain 'show, don't tell', help authors 'get out of their own way', show them how to grow a character’s emotional viewpoint.

The Staircase of Turning Points will then make each scene work as hard as it can and let the story flow naturally from one event to the next. These scenes will show that each character has an agenda and that everyone wants to get their own way.

Written by an award-winning romance author, this friendly, plain-speaking guide takes the self-editing process and breaks it down into smaller, bite-sized tasks. It demystifies story structure and provides multiple examples from popular books and movies, including romance writing and commercial fiction.

Use it to plan ahead for your next novel and use it to revise your manuscript afterwards.

Note: If you have already read or purchased my other Romance or Young Adult editing guides, there's no need to purchase or read this. Everything in those guides is in this book.