If you are reading this, you have likely finished writing and revising your manuscript at least a few times. Just like every aspiring author, you must also want the world to see only the best version of your hard work and efforts.
The most important thing you must acknowledge as an author is that there is always room to improve your work. Whether you work on the formatting of your book or fix plot holes, every step of the way helps you move towards a more refined fiction manuscript.
Here are some of the best tips you need to improve your fiction manuscript before publishing it.
- Take a Walk
One of the biggest mistakes any author can make is to start editing their manuscript right after completing it. Your brain has a limit to focus and needs a break to be able to perform effectively. Therefore, authors are always recommended to step away from their manuscripts for some time before rereading and revising it.
Whether you go for a walk or fix a cup of tea for yourself, distancing yourself from your manuscript for some time can give you a fresh perspective. This way, you will return to your manuscript with a fresh mind to identify areas for improvement.
- Read Out Loud
It may sound a bit odd to you when someone tells you to read your manuscript out loud to improve it. If you are thinking about what reading your manuscript loudly can do for you, you are not alone. While you may have your doubts, reading out loud can help you identify issues in your manuscript effectively.
Reading out your manuscript loudly can help you catch awkward phrasing, unsuitable wording, and so much more. Reading your manuscript aloud engages a different part of your brain as compared to silent reading. These errors may have been overlooked otherwise.
- Improve Your Characters
Characters are the backbone of any fiction book. They hold the potential to make or break your book and reputation as an author. You cannot consider improving your manuscript without revisiting the characters in your book.
Characters drive your plot forward through their actions, choices, and conflicts. While improving your manuscript, you must ensure that your characters are well-rounded and that their actions are consistent with their traits while resonating with the readers.
- Improve Dialogues
The dialogues of your fiction book also play an important role in determining the readability and overall success of your book. The right usage of dialogue ensures that you are not merely telling the details to your readers but showing them everything as it happens.
Instead of using dialogue tags like “he mentioned” or “she spoke,” try to appeal to the sensory details of your readers. The right usage of dialogue can play a significant role in making your reader feel welcomed and keep turning one page after another.
- Edit Ruthlessly
As an author, it can be hard to be ruthless with your own work while editing. Of course, you must have written every line after a lot of consideration. However, that does not mean that every line serves a purpose in your story.
If you find it hard to edit your work by yourself, you can look for the services of beta readers or novel editors for hire. These professionals can edit your work by suggesting the relevant changes to ensure that the reader does not lose their interest at any turn.
- Maintain Consistency
As you reread your manuscript to improve it further, another thing you must keep an eye on is consistency. Consistency is the key to winning the hearts of your readers. It ensures that they keep turning one page after another without losing interest.
The consistency of a fiction novel goes beyond the flow of the text to ensure readability and engagement. As an author, you must also ensure that important details such as timelines, traits, and settings are consistent throughout the manuscript.
- Hone Your Voice
Every author has a unique voice that they must embrace to write and refine their manuscript. It is a factor that makes you more recognizable as an author and sets your writing apart from other authors in the genre. You must take every opportunity to refine your voice throughout your novel manuscript.
However, remember that maintaining a consistent and unique voice does not mean that you cannot experiment with different narrative styles, tones, and perspectives. Experimentation plays an important role in helping you find a voice that suits your story and resonates with the audience.
- Add Tension
Every fiction novel has moments of tension that bring readers to the edge of their seats and turn pages frantically. These moments can define your success as an author and set your work apart in your competitive genre. Every line must be a continuation of the last to maintain coherence throughout your manuscript.
You hold the power to intrigue your readers by introducing a gripping conflict early in the story. From there on, you can elevate the tension gradually by adding compelling plot twists and revelations throughout your manuscript.
Elements such as suspense, foreshadowing, and well-timed cliffhangers can help you keep the momentum flowing and ensure that readers are eager to turn the pages and uncover what happens next. Make sure that their expectations are exceeded as you unfold every tension.
- Polish the Ending
Just as the beginning of your story, the ending of a novel also holds great significance. It can be called one last opportunity for you to make an impact on your readers from this endeavor. It is up to you to conclude it well and make your efforts count. It is your time to deliver on the promises set up throughout the story.
As you refine the ending bits of your manuscript, make sure that the conclusion is satisfying and thematically resonant to tie up the loose ends. Do not forget to provide your readers with closure but also leave room for interpretation and contemplation.
