Writing A Page-Turner: Five Editing Maxims to Make Your Book Irresistible

by Learn Self Publishing

Is the scene setting something up for later? Does it develop character, or a relationship between characters? Has the scene built into conflict, thus creating problems? Is your hero/ine trying to sort out

a problem? Is the scene making the problem worse? Are there multiplying problems coming over the plate? Have we got your hero/ine finding things out? Maybe they are working things out in their head or talking things through with someone? Above all, is the

hero/ine moving, or trying to move, toward...

Use direct thoughts in the past tense.

There may be redundant paragraphs, bits of dialogue going nowhere, or no dialogue at all. Or you’ve strayed into info dumping.

Cut everything in the scene that isn’t action and get to the action part at once.

Never end a scene, or at least a chapter, when a problem is solved.

first person using “I” and switch the “I” to “he or she”, adding a name as needed.

not to get side-tracked into creating goals unrelated to anything Jack might be trying to find out.

Dwell on the action scenes and cut swiftly through the boring bits. If you don’t, then your reader will.

“Never use a long word where a short one will do.”

common words rather than obscure words

fewer adjectives, adverbs and emphases, showing in the simplest possible way.

Have you lost POV? Is the action flagging? Are you dumping info or waffling? Has your main character dropped out of centre stage? Is the pace wrong? Does the scene go anywhere?

Cut to the chase Stay in the character’s head Leave out the waffle Keep it simple

Trust your reader