Free Self-Editing Pyramid Worksheet

So, you’ve drafted a full novel. Congratulations! But – sorry to be the bearers – there’s more hard work ahead of you…

Self-editing is a vital step in the writing of any book. It’s the moment when you take the raw material you’ve created from nothing, then shape it into something that looks, sounds and feels more like a carefully constructed story.

However, it’s easy to get lost in the editing process – and that’s only if you know where to start in the first place.

Why self-edit your novel?

Whether you’re planning to self-publish your novel or seek traditional publication via a literary agent, self-editing will elevate your writing, helping to ensure it’s the best it can be before you share it with industry professionals.

Our free, easy to download guide will introduce you to the self-editing pyramid: a technique designed to help you focus on your book’s big picture before you drill down and think about perfecting your prose. It’s simple, easy to follow and will make self-editing less overwhelming – as well as far more manageable.

What does self-editing involve?

The self-editing pyramid will guide you through the process of refining your novel. You’ll tackle editing from top to bottom, beginning with a bird’s eye view of your book and completing a series of carefully ordered tasks that will:  

• Help to make sure your main story arc is clear  
• Determine the main events in each chapter of your novel 
• Fix any issues with your characters 
• Consider the atmosphere and tone of your book 
• Address any sentence-level problems: grammar, spelling, vocabulary choices and so on.  

Self-editing your story arc

At this stage of self-editing, you’ll need to consider the elevator pitch for your novel, as well as its bare-bones plot. You’ll also think about your characters: where are they, and what state are they in at the start of your novel, and how do the events of your story affect or change them?

You’ll also want to think about your story’s ‘major landmarks’ – all of which should be linked to the development of your characters:

• Inciting incident
• End of set-up phase
• Mid-point crisis
• Crisis
• Resolution

You’ll probably recognise these story beats – but if not, you’ll find a full explanation of each in the free self-editing pyramid guide.

Altogether, your book’s big moments should create a map or ‘shape’ that feels solid and compelling. If you’re not happy with what you have, keep tweaking and tinkering until you are.

Got that? Good! You can move on to adding minor landmarks: smaller plot points that reveal character or move development forward.

Get the guide for more information on interrogating the detailed, chapter-level structure of your story.

Self-editing for character

Next, you’ll need to think about whether the characters in your novel are working well. The self-editing pyramid will prompt you to consider:

• Consistency
• Passivity vs. reactivity
• How much they change (or need to change) between the beginning and the end
• How they react to key turning points in your story.

This is a vital stage of self-editing, as characters are the conduit through which readers access the events of your book. We see everything through their eyes, so they need to feel three-dimensional – and, whether or not we like them, we should be interested enough in their journey to keep turning the pages.

Addressing atmosphere through self-editing

Much like the loveliest sponge cakes at a tea party, all the best books have layers. These layers should be rich and textured, and link to themes that will make your reader think or provoke emotional reactions.  

Together, the layers of your book will create an atmosphere or tone that make it unique. As you self-edit your novel, you’ll think about:  

• The human environment your protagonists live and work in 
• Their physical environment 
• The wider world – especially important in fantasy, sci-fi and speculative novels.  

Download the guide for a more detailed look at the key ingredients for each layer.  

(OK, we hear you. We’ll rest the cake metaphor now.) 

Self-editing at sentence level

Finally, you’ll take some time to perfect your prose. For many writers, it’s difficult to resist taking this step too early – but you must!

There’s really no use in crafting heart-breakingly beautiful sentences that connect to plot points you later discard. Only when your book’s big picture, arcs, characters and shape make sense should you zoom in and look closely at your word choices, grammar, punctuation and spelling.

When you’re truly ready to take this step, grab your red pen and nit-pick to your heart’s content. You’ll want to consider at the following, as well as the basics listed above…

• Economy: have you used six words where two would do? Are there unnecessary paragraphs or passages you could cut?
• Clarity: did you need to read any of your sentences two, or even three times, before they made sense?
• Precision: is your prose working to bring alive the scene that was in your head as you drafted it? Is it clear and effective, or is there room for confusion?

Download the self-editing pyramid guide now

Still not sure where to start with self-editing? That’s no problem. Download the full guide for your free, step-by-step guide to ensuring it’s as easy, efficient and enjoyable as possible. 

And remember, you can use all of our free resources as many times, and for as many stories, as you need! Good luck.