For The Forgetful- The Complete Writer's Guide

Edating/Editting/Editing

Do you write on paper or type?

If you type then editing is slightly simpler. It's just a matter of backspace. If you're editing hand-written works then some common proofing marks will be necessary. I could describe each symbol but it's easier to see so there's a link in the comments to examples.

Right, either you've a pen poised above your completed manuscript, or you have your finger hovering above the scroll bar of Microsoft Word. Take a breath and read. Make some notes, change some bits. Now, either put the manuscript in a draw or close the file on your computer and LEAVE YOUR STORY FOR AT LEAST A MONTH. Leave it alone, don't read it. At this point after maybe a few months of writing your novel, you will have developed what's called 'Author Blindness' a very scientific disorder I just named myself. When Author Blindness sets in you're likely to skip over sentences and not see that you actually missed a comma there. You'll miss that Jerry can't be touching Lydia's face because he's in handcuffs. 

After the time has passed you'll read it with fresh eyes and don't be surprised if you re-write and cut half your story or more. There is no point in keeping paragraphs that are a bit rubbish just because you liked that simile or that description.

Cut, Cut, Cut.

If you're nervous, just cut the undesired text and move it to another file. That way it's gone, but not lost forever.

Look for plotholes- things that aren't possible, things that don't suit your character's personality, things that are irrelevant, things that don't make any sense, things that happen by chance for no other reason than luck.

Look for grammar mistakes- I referr you back to the Technical Bits chapter of this guide. Same for spelling.

Then, once you think it's perfect, once you can't find a thing wrong with your precious baby, you need to find beta reader(s).

Beta readers are independen readers who will read your story all the way through. They will then tell you what they think is wrong. They'll tell you if your characters are boring, if the fight scene was confusing, if the plot was drawn out and ended disappointingly. They have no responsibility to tell you how to fix those things, they don't even have to tell you  exactly WHY they thought something sucked. They're just another set of helpful eyes. It's not a good idea to publish (or attempt to publish whether on Wattpad, or with a traditional publishing house) withot having some Beta readers take a look.

Once you've gone through their notes and changed/not changed, and edited for the bazillionth time, you've got to edit again. Seriously, your work has to be better than other people's, it needs to be downright resplendent if you're submitting to a publisher. 

Work hard, write more. There are a lot of authors, some of them are successful because they're popular, some are successful because they're the best writers out there, and you're competing with them, so be better than them.