I've written a novel and I have no clue what to do next!
Congratulations! Typing “The End” is one of the best achievements of a writer’s career! No first draft is perfect (except God’s first draft), so now’s the time for the revision process. If you haven’t yet read my first article, “I want to write a book and I have no clue what to do,” go back and skim through the resources listed there. There might be a few books, articles, or resources you haven’t seen yet, and they might be useful to you for tightening structure or deepening characterization. The following resources are for the revision and submission process. Do a little large-scale revision. Often, even the best manuscript needs some larger scale revision—shifting scenes, changing character goals, rewriting the climax. The one thing I notice the most in manuscripts that I do for freelance editing is a need for more conflict in the story. Most people avoid conflict in real life, but in fiction, conflict is what keeps a reader reading. The best books I read for figuring ou