{"id":267,"date":"2020-11-17T10:13:54","date_gmt":"2020-11-17T10:13:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=267"},"modified":"2025-05-09T09:45:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T08:45:45","slug":"how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Edit A Novel First Draft \u2013 A Simple Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A while back, I completed my fourth Fiona Griffiths novel. The publisher \u2013 those nice folks at Orion<\/a> \u2013 liked the book and it was published. So far, so good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, both my editor<\/a> and I felt the book just felt a bit long. There was nothing redundant or superfluous in it, just the whole book needed to be a little shorter. It was a ship dragging a sea-anchor. Nothing needed to be rebuilt<\/a>. We just had to reduce the drag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post is about how to edit a first draft novel, but based on an actual example of an author (me) going through that process, using my manuscript by way of example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The book was 136,500 words when I delivered it, but I have just finished a process of cutting and re-editing that has taken it down to 131,000 words. Since my changes included about 750 words of additional text, that means I\u2019ve trimmed a total of somewhat more than 6,000 words, or about 5% of the novel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Are you thinking that\u2019s quite long for a thriller? Well, yes, it is. You can get a guide to average novel word counts here<\/a>, but suffice to say, my work does tend to live at the long end of average. I\u2019d save a lot of work if I learned how to write shorter books!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post will share how I did that. What kind of cuts I made, the other adjustments that ensued, the thought processes involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we get into the detail (and these things are all about detail), three things. This was my ninth published novel, and my thirteenth or fourteenth book. A first draft by a new writer is often able to lose 10% quite easily. It\u2019s not uncommon for 20-30% to be a more accurate target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Writers Rule #1<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Be ambitious when it comes to cutting material.
You\u2019re not aiming to lose content, necessarily \u2013 just verbiage.
A 12 word sentence could become just a 9 word sentence?<\/em>
That\u2019s the same as cutting 30,000 words from a 120K word novel!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, the draft I first delivered to my publisher had already been edited hard. Not just for length, but for flow, atmosphere, plot logic, characterisation, dialogue, beauty, everything. Although the emphasis in this post is on how to cut a novel, this post is just about one small slice of the whole process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Writers Rule #2<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to the self-editing process, everything is up for grabs.
Everything.
Plot, characters, pacing, twists, settings. Everything.
There\u2019s nothing sacred. Every little element has to contribute \u2013 or get changed.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Third, it\u2019s worth bearing in mind the narrator in what follows is my little Welsh detective, Fiona Griffiths, who has, according to one reviewer, \u2018some of the most memorably staccato narration in the genre\u2019. In other words, she likes short sentences, clipping verbs or pronouns where it would be more normal to retain them. That\u2019s her<\/em> voice. You do not have to follow suit. In other words, the decisions I make need to be taken in that Griffithsian context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your decisions will be made in the context of your voice, your characters, your market, your story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Writers Rule #3<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t follow my rules.
Make your own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enough preamble. Let\u2019s look at some cuts. Again, the examples are taken from my actual edits of my actual manuscript . . .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example Edit: Description of Scramble to Base of Cliff<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here big chunks are dropping out. Some of it is simply about removing surplus. (We didn\u2019t need the names of six different colours of rock or lichen, for example. We didn\u2019t need to know exactly how far Fiona had soaked herself.) But notice how the scene becomes better as a result. All the pieces were there before, but the assembly was a bit slipshod. This tighter format makes the atmospherics work better<\/em>, even though there\u2019s actually less<\/em> atmospheric language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But some of the cuts also had to do with a willingness to trust the reader. So, in the first version, my narrator has said, in effect, \u201cLook, I\u2019ve seen the crime scene photos and I know I\u2019m in the right spot.\u201d The second version just drops all that. Most readers won\u2019t even wonder how Fiona knows where to stand. Those that do can probably be trusted to think, \u201cOh, I guess there\u2019d be file photos, something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And notice the tiny changes. \u201cJust about practical\u201d becomes \u201cmanageable\u201d. That\u2019s a saving of just two words, but I\u2019d say that a full third of my cuts were probably made up of such tiny things. Here are a couple more examples of tiny cuts. There were hundreds, even thousands of such things through the new draft:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here, the sense of \u2018can\u2019t see anything\u2019 is adequately reflected in Fiona\u2019s question, so the sentence can go. Three words saved. Yummy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, before we move on, just one more example of tiny:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One word saved. Hooray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, it was rare that I came across passages (like the first passage above) that I could really hack into. Much more common was a host of small or tiny changes that cumulated to something bigger. In total, Microsoft Word reckons I made 3400 changes between the first draft and the second. Now, you can maybe quibble about the way it counts, but the point is still good. You can cut a lot of words by making a lot<\/em><\/strong> of small changes. It\u2019s hard work, but you\u2019re a writer. And work is fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example Edit: Description of Crime Photo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now peek at this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The very first passage was taken, not from an action scene exactly, but one with real vibrancy all the same: a quest to see if an accidental death might really be a suicide. The chunk above, however, comes from one of those scenes that all novels have aplenty. Ones that are necessary to the story, but which don\u2019t have real dramatic frisson. So the cuts above were aimed at simply reducing word count. Not too<\/em> far, of course: we still need to \u2018meet\u2019 Emmett and to feel the atmosphere of that meeting. If I\u2019d cut too far, the text could have felt economical but bland. But still. We didn\u2019t need that sentence starting, \u2018I\u2019d have preferred \u2026\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And yes, that sentence does do something to characterise Fiona Griffiths, but her character is all over this novel, anyway. So keeping a sentence like that in a scene that wants to be shorter made no sense. Out it went.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example Edit: Prison Description<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The same kind of logic applied here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The deleted material is perfectly fine, but it characterises a location that isn\u2019t used in the scene. Fiona encounters her ex-convict friend in the car park, not the waiting room, so I left in the bit that talks about the car park, cutting the rest. Truth is, I think I was writing myself<\/em> into the prison scene with that stuff about the waiting area. You\u2019re welcome to write yourself into the scene \u2013 just remember to delete fluff. And even that bit in the car park is a wee bit tightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example Edit: Getting the Rhythms Right<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You also need to realise that you\u2019re seldom just<\/em> cutting, even if cutting word count is your only mission. Here\u2019s a small example of what I mean. (But again: this is all about detail.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now all I\u2019ve done there is delete the six words about sailing boats. (Not worth doing? But six words is 0.1% of my total reduction target! That\u2019s massively worth it.) But you\u2019ll notice that the bit about the Bay now jumps to the previous paragraph. No actual words have changed but, even for the staccato Ms Griffiths, that \u201cViews \u2026\u201d sentence didn\u2019t have the muscle to comprise a paragraph all on its own, so I cut the para break and the text flows better. You have to be alert to those rhythmical things all the time. Here\u2019s another example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That first deletion (\u2018all\u2019) is simply a tidying up thing. It makes the sentence shorter, yes, but it also makes it better. I\u2019d have made the change, even if I weren\u2019t on a hunt for word count. But notice the next bit. I deleted the sentence \u2018Like the efficient \u2026\u2019 because I wanted to compress this (not-very-high-octane) scene, but then having done so, the repetition of the word \u2018finish\u2019 would have been too much. So the first instance goes. And the rhythm now works again: the staccato four word sentence (\u2018neat, swift, etc.\u2019), followed by one that sets up the reaction shot \u2013 and a teeny bit of tension as to how Jackson will respond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example Edit: Increasing Sentence Force<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And as you cut text, you\u2019ll find you get sensitised to other little points of detail. Ones like this, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll notice that that\u2019s three words cut, but three words added. There\u2019s no alteration in meaning, nor have I even fiddled about with the sentence\u2019s key flavour-giving words (ie: best-known, king, obscure<\/em>). So why make the change? The answer is that the starts and ends of sentences have more power than the middles. A sentence that ends \u2018 \u2026 not the most obscure either\u2019 is just a little less forceful than one that says \u2018\u2026 nor is he the most obscure.\u2019 I changed the sentence so that the weight could lie in the final word, not the penultimate one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example Edit: Getting your Scene \/ Chapter Endings Right<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A similar kind of point lies behind this cut:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is the end of a chapter. The first version still leaves Fiona\u2019s question nicely mysterious \u2013 but the last four, very short, paragraphs don\u2019t really add any more spice than simply ending the chapter at \u2018And look, there\u2019s something else.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ending early and arriving late is a very good rule to remember when checking your chapter constructions. Are you getting in as close as possible to the dramatic action? Are you leaving as soon as possible thereafter? And do note that \u2018dramatic action\u2019 means anything at all which increases the story pressure in the mind of the reader. Fiona\u2019s final question blips that pressure up a notch (what is she asking, what does she want?), so the best place to finish the scene is right there, with the reader mid-blip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Next?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since this is a long post already, that\u2019s probably the place to leave it. But don\u2019t feel you have to struggle alone with your novel. We have excellent editors<\/a> ready to help you identify and fix<\/a> the issues in your novel. If you want help understanding the various types of editorial service available, you can find a complete (and opinionated) guide here<\/a>. A useful editing resource page (via Kindlepreneur) can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as you get close to the moment of actually Getting Your Manuscript Out There, you probably want to read our guide on how to\u00a0get a literary agent\u00a0<\/a>and our complete literary agent FAQs page\u00a0here<\/a>. Or, if you’re ready to get the ball rolling with agents, but just need a little push, try our Agent Submission Pack Review<\/a> for some detailed professional advice. If it’s your manuscript that you want a little help with, try our copyediting services <\/a>or a manuscript assessment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A while back, I completed my fourth Fiona Griffiths novel. The publisher \u2013 those nice folks at Orion \u2013 liked the book and it was published. So far, so good. Still, both my editor and I felt the book just felt a bit long. There was nothing redundant or superfluous in it, just the whole book needed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":621544,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28666],"tags":[27486],"class_list":["post-267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editing","tag-get-published"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nJericho Writers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover this complete actionable guide on how to edit your first draft novel. Complete with tips from bestselling novelist Harry Bingham. Get the insights now.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Edit Your First Draft Novel (A Checklist) | Jericho Writers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover this complete actionable guide on how to edit your first draft novel. Complete with tips from bestselling novelist Harry Bingham. Get the insights now.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jericho Writers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jerichowriters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-11-17T10:13:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-09T08:45:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ISS_13619_09015-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1198\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jericho Writers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@JerichoWriters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@JerichoWriters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jericho Writers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Jericho Writers\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6baf4bec883183f72ea87d54e8e7b9b3\"},\"headline\":\"How To Edit A Novel First Draft \u2013 A Simple Guide\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-17T10:13:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-09T08:45:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/\"},\"wordCount\":1924,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ISS_13619_09015-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Get Published\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Editing\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/\",\"name\":\"How to Edit Your First Draft Novel (A Checklist) | Jericho Writers\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ISS_13619_09015-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-11-17T10:13:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-09T08:45:45+00:00\",\"description\":\"Discover this complete actionable guide on how to edit your first draft novel. Complete with tips from bestselling novelist Harry Bingham. Get the insights now.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ISS_13619_09015-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ISS_13619_09015-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1198,\"caption\":\"Vintage typewriter and crumpled papers over colour background with copy space\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How To Edit A Novel First Draft \u2013 A Simple Guide\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/\",\"name\":\"Jericho Writers\",\"description\":\"Getting you published\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Jericho Writers\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/cropped-footer-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/cropped-footer-logo.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Jericho Writers\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jerichowriters\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/JerichoWriters\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jerichowriters\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/jericho-writers\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCcs1qhjwLR6bQYDR2x3PbOw\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6baf4bec883183f72ea87d54e8e7b9b3\",\"name\":\"Jericho Writers\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/7517483dd9bf37ab1cc21ebc33157ef5.jpg?ver=1775064528\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/7517483dd9bf37ab1cc21ebc33157ef5.jpg?ver=1775064528\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/7517483dd9bf37ab1cc21ebc33157ef5.jpg?ver=1775064528\",\"caption\":\"Jericho Writers\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/author\/2\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Jericho Writers","description":"Discover this complete actionable guide on how to edit your first draft novel. Complete with tips from bestselling novelist Harry Bingham. Get the insights now.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Edit Your First Draft Novel (A Checklist) | Jericho Writers","og_description":"Discover this complete actionable guide on how to edit your first draft novel. Complete with tips from bestselling novelist Harry Bingham. Get the insights now.","og_url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/","og_site_name":"Jericho Writers","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jerichowriters","article_published_time":"2020-11-17T10:13:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-09T08:45:45+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1198,"url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ISS_13619_09015-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Jericho Writers","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@JerichoWriters","twitter_site":"@JerichoWriters","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jericho Writers","Estimated reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/"},"author":{"name":"Jericho Writers","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6baf4bec883183f72ea87d54e8e7b9b3"},"headline":"How To Edit A Novel First Draft \u2013 A Simple Guide","datePublished":"2020-11-17T10:13:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-09T08:45:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/"},"wordCount":1924,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ISS_13619_09015-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Get Published"],"articleSection":["Editing"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/","name":"How to Edit Your First Draft Novel (A Checklist) | Jericho Writers","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ISS_13619_09015-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2020-11-17T10:13:54+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-09T08:45:45+00:00","description":"Discover this complete actionable guide on how to edit your first draft novel. Complete with tips from bestselling novelist Harry Bingham. Get the insights now.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ISS_13619_09015-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/ISS_13619_09015-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1198,"caption":"Vintage typewriter and crumpled papers over colour background with copy space"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/how-to-edit-your-first-draft-novel-a-checklist\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How To Edit A Novel First Draft \u2013 A Simple Guide"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/","name":"Jericho Writers","description":"Getting you published","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#organization","name":"Jericho Writers","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/cropped-footer-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/cropped-footer-logo.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Jericho Writers"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jerichowriters","https:\/\/x.com\/JerichoWriters","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jerichowriters\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/jericho-writers\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCcs1qhjwLR6bQYDR2x3PbOw"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/6baf4bec883183f72ea87d54e8e7b9b3","name":"Jericho Writers","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/7517483dd9bf37ab1cc21ebc33157ef5.jpg?ver=1775064528","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/7517483dd9bf37ab1cc21ebc33157ef5.jpg?ver=1775064528","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/7517483dd9bf37ab1cc21ebc33157ef5.jpg?ver=1775064528","caption":"Jericho Writers"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/jerichowriters.com"],"url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/author\/2\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=267"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":707047,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/267\/revisions\/707047"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/621544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}