Ultimate Editing Checklist That All Fiction Writers Should Know About

Writing is a passion of millions of people around the globe, but not everyone ends up becoming J.K. Rowling in the world of books. Fiction writers are known to fuel this industry with their creativity and intelligence. 

When it comes to fiction writing, there is something that can make or break your innovative and out-of-the-box story, editing. Editing fiction writing is different and more technical than editing a nonfiction piece of content. 

Every writer should follow this checklist when it comes to finalizing the fiction work or hiring a fiction editor to do the same job for him. Here’s a checklist of all the fiction essentials that your story must have in order to be categorized as a stellar one: 

  • The Plot is Interesting

The fictional stories are plot-centric, and the crux of the story, as well as the thrill all, lies in the main plot. If the plot is weak, you will never be able to hook the fiction lovers in the first place. This genre is known to give people what they are unable to find in reality. Entertain the deep-routed desires of your target audience and set your plot around that. 

  • The Theme is Deep Routed

Make sure that you are not just making things up but do add a sound explanation to your plot that justifies the theme. You will have to do extensive scientific research and historical study to dig deeper into the theme that you have decided to go with. Once you have done your research, make sure that your story represents the research in terms of a sound explanation of the events happening in your story. 

Moreover, have a look at the previous stories in that genre to get an idea of the expectation and the mindset of the readers that have appealed to that particular fictional idea. Make sure your story is fulfilling their expectations. 

  • There are Relevant Sub-Plots

After setting the ground for the theme and entertaining the expectations of the readers, it is time that you add a tinge of creativity to the story. You will be left with enough room to modify the plot and give it interesting turns that will appeal to your readers. You do not need to have one subplot only for your story because you can also choose to have multiple subplots that will improve the curiosity in your story. Sub-plots give you a safe space to experiment with the characters and theme the way you want. 

  • Characters are Appealing and Interesting

Main characters are the backbone of any fictional story. If you have kept your theme far from reality, make sure to keep the characters as close to reality as you can to balance it out. Characters are the point of relevance for the readers; it is the link that connects them with the story and makes it look believable to them. Therefore, keep your characters exactly in accordance with the taste of your target readers and give them a strong personality. 

  • The Intentions and Goals of Characters are Set Clearly

When writing the personality of the characters, make sure to define their goals, ambitions, and characters clearly, so the readers can visualize them in a precise way. This will add to their reading experience. Moreover, while writing different characters do not overlap the personalities; come up with something genuine and unique and leave room for character development for each character of yours. The goals and dreams of the characters should be well aligned with the main plot of the story and its intent. 

  • There are Supporting Characters but not Unnecessary Ones

A story is incomplete without supporting characters, but when the number of such characters exceeds normal, the story becomes flooded and confused. The main characters end up losing the spotlight if something of this sort happens. This is why you should be very precise and clear regarding the characters of your story. Each character should add something to the story and should not appear as someone unnecessary. 

  • Dialogues Match the Personality of the Characters

The dialogue should follow the tone of the whole story, and it should be in accordance with the characters of the story. For instance, keep all the witty lines for the smart, humorous character of your story and the sarcastic comments for the indifferent and careless brat of your story. Keep changing the emotions of the story by adding and removing characters from the scene from time to time rather than multitasking with the same characters. 

  • The Scenes are Not Getting Monotonous

Keep your story from monotony by changing the scenes every now and then. It is always refreshing to introduce new scenery and plot twists in the story every now and then. But be careful and do not go over the board with it. The main scenes should be set at one of the primary setups throughout the story to keep things familiar and easy to remember. 

  • There are Twists in the Story to Keep Things Interesting

Plot twists add life to any story, especially when it’s a long one. You can look into some amazing plot twist ideas that will never fail to appeal to your readers. When you add a plot twist in the story, it adds an instant thrill and adventure that takes your readers on an emotional roller-coaster and eventually improves your story. 

  • Story Progresses With at an Ideal Pace

Fiction stories should pace at an ideal pace that is neither too fast nor too slow. It is because such stories keep unveiling different aspects of the theme in a period fashion, and a faster pace will make the reader lose track of the story, while a slower pace would make the readers lose their interest in the story. 

  • Fine Details are in Place

Fine tuning of the details in the story, as well as writing, is absolutely necessary to maintain the quality of your content. You can hire a proofreader for this purpose if you are willing to pay a few hundred dollars for the task. In the case of writing, make sure your grammar, clarity, tone, and vocabulary are on point. Similarly, also tweak the rhythm, flow and transition of the sentences in accordance with the theme of your story. 

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