Editing Questions to Ask Yourself

Sorry guys. I'm really late with this.

Why?

Well, I've been in Mexico for the past eight days, dancing at a Christian festival at the Auditorio Nacional, the biggest auditorium in the nation (I think - it seats like 10,000 people). Well, the last festival was tonight, and it was packed. So many people accepted Christ. It was amazing.

But anyway, I'm getting home tomorrow, so I'll be able to finish posting then. :P

.....

#1 - Is my grammar correct?

This is a simple, not so easy basic. :) A lot of people tend to misspell words or use the wrong verbs in the wrong tense, et cetera et cetera. Spellcheck can be very useful with this, but I don't like it because it considers names that I made up "incorrect" and it puts the little lines under it. This annoys me, so I take it off. :) Not using Spellcheck helps you to get grammar patterns in your head, so you can do it from memory and not have to rely on the computer program to help you. :)
Here are some things you can do relating to grammar mistakes:
Say the sentence out loud --- does it sound right? Really think about every sentence in your head, then speak it aloud. This helped me catch several grammar mistakes of mine.
Reread your book --- are there any obvious spelling mistakes? Are there words that don't look right to you? Dictionary.com is very helpful with words you're not sure about.

#2 --- Have I read it through more than once?

Another basic. Before you submit it to the publishers (if you even get that far....we all hope) you should have read it and edited it at least twice. You should only (in my opinion) submit it to the publishers if you can read your book all the way through without making any corrections. Which leads me to #3.....

#3 --- Have my friends or family read it?

Outsiders are very helpful. You, as the author, will always have a different perspective. You know things outsiders wouldn't know --- unexpected twists and turns, even the plots for books ahead in the series, if there is one. You can't read your book without thinking something like, "Oh, she does this, because of this, because of this, because something is wrong with this." Outsiders are on the completely different end of the spectrum - and, in an editing sort of way, they have an advantage over us. They see things we can't. They will have the reaction your readers will have - that's why it's extremely important to let them read it, hear their reactions, and adjust appropriately before you send your creation off to the publishers.

#4 --- Are my characters firm and deep enough?

Every author must make their characters seem alive - which is very hard, since humans are complicated and very complex beings that live in a swirl of emotions and thoughts and backgrounds. Your characters must be real to you if they will be real to your reader. Every character must have his or her own personality, character, struggles, background, testimony, and flaws. Here are some tips to make them seem a little more alive:

Flaws are more important than you would think. Every human being has a fatal flaw. Every single one. Nobody is like those people on TV or movies, who seem so perfect. Don't make your character appear that way -- your reader will put down your book in an instant and declare, "This character's a fake." The fatal flaw can be selfishness, struggling with self-confidence, pride, struggling to believe in yourself, etc.

Write letters to them, and write their response back to you. I know that sounds silly, but it actually does help. Write them a letter saying hello, or whatever you want to say, then write what you think they would write in response. Actually focus on your character's character. :)

Give them battle scars. Wound your characters. Create something in their past or present that haunts them or scars them. This will help you build up to creating the fatal flaw and the background and testimony.