Writer Wednesday: Revise As a Reader, Not a Writer

I've always said reading is the best form of research for writers. When I need inspiration, I turn to a good book and just read. I learn the most that way. But I've learned that reading helps with revision too. How? If you want to know how your readers are going to look at your book, you have to read it as a reader and not a writer.

The best way to do this is to separate yourself from the manuscript for a while. Write something else and then come back to it. You have to almost forget the story so you can read it with fresh eyes. I can spot "telling" a mile away in someone else's book, but in my own, I have to step away and read like a reader to see it. You also have to keep in mind that the great backstory your MC has isn't known to anyone but you. You know what I'm talking about. All those details about their childhood that makes the MC who he/she is. If there's something you want the readers to know, you have to actually write it down. You may be thinking, "well duh," but seriously, I see this all the time when I edit for clients and I've even done it myself—just assumed the reader knows what I know. They don't. They only know what you tell them.

In the same token, your reader isn't inside your MC's head. If you don't share your MC's thoughts, your reader won't see them. Don't forget to have your characters react to things, either verbally, through actions, or through their thoughts. It makes your characters come alive on the page, which is what your readers want.

As a reader, I skip over mundane details, so when I revise as a reader, I delete those details. Why give readers a reason to skim your work? Then I replace those boring details with something my readers will actually care about.

Can you read your own work as a reader instead of a writer? Do you have any tips to share?