Tag: Developmental Edit

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The importance of maintaining a consistent point of view in fiction

Mandy Webster

Maintaining a consistent point of view (POV) is important in novel writing because it helps create a clear and immersive narrative for the reader. When a story’s POV changes frequently or unexpectedly, it can be jarring for the reader and disrupt their engagement with the story. POV is such an important element to tackle during the revise and refine stage of the novel writing process, you may find it useful to do a complete read-through of your manuscript with your attention focused solely on spotting POV shifts.

Revising for point of view is one of the most important tasks that you will complete when revising and refining your novel manuscript.

Below are a few reasons why it is so important to maintain consistent POV(s) in your novel:

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Top tips for revising your novel manuscript

Mandy Webster

Once you have gathered enough outside feedback on your work to guide your novel revisions, it’s time to get down to the dirty business of revising your manuscript. Starting the revision process with a developmental edit report in hand will first help you get started and then will begin to illuminate the gaps that you were previously oblivious to in your own work.

It often helps to read your work aloud during the revising and refining stage of the novel writing process.

Here’s a general process you can follow to help you through your first round of revisions:

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Can you DIY your developmental edit?

Mandy Webster

Hiring an editor to complete a developmental edit of your novel can be expensive. If you can afford it, an effective editor will give you the outside perspective you need to take your manuscript to the next level. However, many emerging writers simply cannot afford the expense and do not have an established writing community to lean on. They may wonder if they can do a developmental edit of their own work. The answer is yes, you can do a developmental edit on your own novel, but it can be challenging to do so objectively.

Can you do it yourself (DIY) when it comes to obtaining a developmental edit for your novel manuscript? Image generated using artificial intelligence.

When evaluating your work, it can be difficult to separate yourself from your own writing and see it objectively. You may overlook certain issues or be too close to the story to recognize where significant changes are needed to improve the story. This is one reason why I encourage writers to let a new draft simmer for a while before jumping into the evaluation stage of the novel writing process. That break from the work can help you return to the manuscript with the eyes of a reader rather than those of a writer. Details you never noticed before will suddenly begin to jump off the page at you. You’ll notice gaps that you would never have noticed otherwise.

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Evaluating your novel draft: The developmental edit

Mandy Webster

A developmental edit is a type of editing that focuses on the big-picture elements of a novel manuscript such as its structure, plot, character development, and theme. Developmental editors help authors identify and fix problems with manuscripts such as weak plot points, underdeveloped characters, or an unclear story arc. They may also offer suggestions for improving the manuscript’s overall readability and impact.

Obtaining feedback from a professional developmental editor can help you take your novel manuscript to a whole new level! Contact me today to inquire about hiring me to provide a developmental edit of your novel draft!

Developmental editing is typically done before a manuscript is submitted to an agent or publisher. However, I like to get at least one developmental edit during the evaluation phase so I can start fixing my issues early in the writing process. The developmental edit can be a valuable service for authors who want to make sure their manuscripts are as strong as possible either way.

Here are some of the elements that a developmental editor might review in a novel manuscript:

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