Writing Series - Editing a manuscript

Jumping to some of the final aspects of writing a novel this article in the Writing Series is all about Editing, as that is where I am now on the third in the DI Matthew Goodwin series, Aloha Goodbye. I want to share my process as I am doing it, not necessarily in the order you would write a novel.

It's now been nearly a month since the initial version of Aloha Goodbye, draft 1, was produced. This is all the chapters put together and in the order they should be. I personally go through a whole load of drafts - Thai Die got to 18 drafts before the final one. I will also produce another of that as rereading it now for the audio book I am tweaking it still.

I never edit a book through the writing process, I get it all out first so the initial draft can often be disjointed and is likely to look nothing like the final one. I leave it a month and then start the edits. That is where I am now. I am not ready for anyone else to read it as it is too far from where it needs to be.

I do have various edits I go through the initial ones are:

Initial read to ensure it all hangs together, correcting spelling, punctuation and grammar as I go.
Move the paragraphs, chapters or parts around to flow better and ensure the background is there, characters are developed and their motivations are understood.
Check the plot, clues and accuracy of the timeline works.

That is all the skeleton of the book then I put the flesh on the bones with edits a little more specific and focussed:

Characters

I read the whole book through focussing on a character at a time ensuring:

Each character aligns with their profiles (a future blog when I am on the fourth book will explain how I build character profiles for all characters in my books).
Do they speak, act and feel in harmony with their character. This is key in the series that Goodwin, Boleman and other characters that cross over different books, maintain their character.
Names and titles are correctly capitalised

Location/Setting

In my books the location or setting of the book is a character of its own, from my personal experience and brings its own feel, emotion and language to the novel so I read again focussing on the location I ensure:

Names and places are correctly capitalised
Location specific terms are used to enhance the feeling of the place - this is especially important for Aloha Goodbye, being set on a cruise ship heading to Hawaii nautical terms are used so a run through checking all of them are right is also done.

Then I read, review and rewrite again.

I put the manuscript aside for another 2 weeks without any sort of review or reading of it. I let the plot and story, conversations, location and characters swim around at the back of my mind but don't pick up the manuscript again for 2 weeks.

When those two weeks are up, I do the above list again though a little more briefly because if I've done the first one right this is a catch all. Then I read it through again as a full read and edit as I go.

Now it is ready to have someone else read and review it and feed back to me. I make those changes, discuss and enhance.

It's almost there then.

Finally, I will do it all again before publishing.

Need to get back to it now,

Have a good week,

Helen x