Sejal Badani is the Amazon Charts, USA Today, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Storyteller’s Secret, Trail of Broken Wings, and her newest novel The Sun’s Shadow. She is also a Goodreads Best Fiction award and ABC/Disney Writing Fellowship finalist whose work has been published in over fifteen languages. Learn more here.
Editing is one of the most critical aspects of writing. It allows you to step back and view the story you’ve spent so much time crafting and, with sweat forming, realize you may need to delete half of your manuscript. 😊 Just kidding. Sort of. After writing multiple novels (one of which never quite made it to publishable quality), I’ve spent countless hours editing. As hard as it can be, editing is both enjoyable but also one of the hardest parts of the writing process. A critical step, it will help your final product shine.
High-Level Perspective through Outline
I always begin with an outline. Essential to your story, it serves as a blueprint for your entire manuscript, guiding your story from start to finish. My outlines are often around eighty to ninety pages—nearly half the length of a novel. I strive to detail each scene as much as possible while still keeping it succinct and manageable. A solid outline lets you see the entire story from a high-level perspective, helping you recognize a scene placement, refine plot points and adjust the flow of the narrative. An outline will also help keep focus on the emotional beats of the story. Each critical scene that begins and ends with contrasting emotions – a positive or negative moment, in any order – offers unexpected twists and heightens tension. This keeps the reader engaged and will propel the story forward and maintain momentum.
Character Descriptions
Another essential step is creating detailed character descriptions—not just their physical traits, but their emotional reactions and internal struggles. Having a firm grasp on your characters’ motivations and fears will make them more relatable but also make your editing easier. As your story progresses, you may find a moment where a character needs to take an action or make a decision that requires prior setup—whether that’s a subtle detail or an overt change in behavior. These character descriptions and arcs act as a roadmap, guiding you in making the necessary changes when editing. Take, for example, Harry Potter. Though one of the greatest wizards of all time, it’s his humanity and complexity—his loneliness, his fears, and his vulnerability—that make him relatable and draw readers in. Readers want to see themselves in characters.
Consider making your hero/protagonist and anti-hero/antagonist mirror images of each other. They could easily switch places under different circumstances. In my novel, The Sun’s Shadow, Celine and Felicity are both loving mothers, in love with the same man, and they share common traits: career-driven, athletic, and dealing with complicated relationships with their fathers. This duality allows readers to sympathize with both characters, raising the stakes and creating heightened tension. A great example of this dynamic on the screen is Loki and Thor in The Avengers. These two brothers are so similar, yet one is a king and the other a criminal, separated only by their bloodline. A well-crafted antagonist is just as crucial as the hero; without them, the protagonist’s journey would lack the depth and conflict that makes it compelling.
Multiple POVs
As you edit, consider whether adding another character’s point of view (POV) might enhance the story and add depth to the narrative. For example, it may offer deeper insight into the plot or character motivations, or even heighten suspense by offering contrasting perspectives. Multiple POV’s may offer you more flexibility and could increase the reader’s emotional investment in the overall outcome. In my own work, I often work with two or more POVs to give the reader a broader view of the world I’ve created and my character’s inner thoughts.
When I begin any new story, I always outline two very different endings. This practice gives me the freedom to let the story unfold naturally, instead of forcing it toward a predetermined conclusion. As I get deeper into the writing, I can see which ending feels most authentic for the characters and plot. This process gives me the freedom to remain open to the direction the story naturally takes while still having a contingency plan if the narrative shifts unexpectedly.
One of the most valuable techniques I’ve learned during editing is to create separate documents for each character’s point of view. For instance, I’ll have one document that contains all the scenes from Celine’s perspective and another for Felicity’s. This allows me to track each character’s journey and ensure consistency across their arcs. By isolating the POVs, you can better understand how each character develops and ensure their actions are both motivated and meaningful.
Take a Pause
Once you’ve completed your first round of edits, take a step back. Read books in the same genre and watch relevant movies. The distance offers some objectivity. This can spark fresh ideas, offer inspiration, and help you spot errors in your storyline that you might have missed.
Working on two projects simultaneously is incredibly helpful. After completing The Storyteller’s Secret, I set it aside and began outlining The Sun’s Shadow. This kept me from becoming too entrenched in one story and helped me stay creative. When you spend extended time with a single project, it’s easy to lose objectivity and miss the flaws. By switching between two projects, I can keep the energy and creativity flowing while also stepping back to assess my first work from a new angle.
Working with an Editor
Finally, working with a trusted freelance editor is extremely beneficial. A great editor understands your voice and provides critical feedback to help elevate your work. They can identify issues with pacing, character arcs, and structure that you may have missed. A good editor doesn’t just point out your weaknesses—they highlight your strengths, helping you maintain your unique voice while refining your storytelling. They act as a collaborator, not just a critic, and that partnership is invaluable.
Writing is often a journey filled with joy and discovery, where creativity takes the lead. Editing, while sometimes seen as a challenge, is an essential part of this process. When approached as an opportunity to refine and perfect your work, editing can become one of the most rewarding aspects of transforming your manuscript from its initial draft to a polished final piece. As a writer, it’s one of my favorite parts because at the end of it I know I have committed the time to evolve my initial draft into something that is clear, compelling and truly reflects my vision.
The Sun’s Shadow by Sejal Badani
As Celine’s world crumbles—her marriage in shambles, her childhood farm at risk, and her son battling cancer—she braces for the ultimate fight. Meanwhile, Felicity, tired of being Eric’s secret, uproots her life to claim the future she believes she deserves. But when Felicity’s son becomes the key to saving Celine’s, the two women must confront their shared heartbreak and find a way to rewrite their story—for the sake of their children.
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