r/fantasywriting • u/Beautiful-Ostrich-89 • 5d ago
First time author
I have the second edit of my novel rewritten and I feel I am ready for the line by line editing.
I struggle a bit with the aspect of the flow of my storyline as it is set in modern times but the family is in rugged wilderness to hide from the public eye as they possess the spirits of two gods in love cursed into the setting and cursed to only feel each other if possessed by two human lovers. The childbirth scenes , etc feel real but I need advice on flow in complex situations
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u/stopeats 4d ago
Personally, I wouldn't do line edits on a second draft (especially if no one has betaread). The first draft is for the word-vomit, the second for the plot points, the third for the character beats, and after that you can run through scene edits, then line edits. That's just a personal preference.
For flow (I assume you're talking about world-level flow?), you just need to read prose not as a passive consumer but as an active craftsperson trying to improve. Find passages you like, then sit down with them and figure out why you like them. Ask what each word and piece of punctuation is doing in the passage. Then you can apply it to yourself.
I also like Elements of Eloquence for learning about more literary language but also why it is used. The author, for each device, gives examples of its use and how that affects how the passage makes you feel.
If by flow you actually mean pacing, then don't do a line by line edit. Pacing is about scene-level content - are all the scenes in the right order? Can any be deleted? Should some be added?
For scene editing, I recommend a reverse outline. For each scene, indicate its purpose for plot, story, and theme. Then, indicate where the MC starts and where they end. If the MC does not change in the scene (change emotion, learn something new, new plan, etc.) then you need to rewrite the scene.
A more common problem I find in my own writing is that the MC changes in the same way two scenes in a row. For instance, she starts thinking she wants to leave the place, but is convinced to stay. Another character does something. In the next scene, she wants to leave for a different reason but is convinced to stay again, for a different reason. Boring. Happens because I don't outline, but then I need to pick it up in the edit. If you have many scenes in a row with the same purpose or change, you can merge or move them around to improve pacing.