Self-Edit Your First Draft 

If you’re a fiction writer looking to take your book from “first draft” to “finished” while growing your writing and editing craft...then you need to know how to self-edit. 

Your author intuition knows your story’s not done. It’s written, but not quite “there” yet. You want to grow in your craft, but maybe aren’t sure how start the crucial middle step of self-editing. Or even where to learn about it. Maybe you’re tempted to skip it (as many do) and just hire an editor.

Allow me to come alongside you—to explain step-by-step how to begin…all the way to how to finish. No more confusion. No more overwhelm. From here on out you will know exactly which steps to take to get your book from “draft” to “done.”

What’s Inside Self-Edit Your First Draft 

• 33 instructional videos
• 150-page workbook
• Private Facebook community

Module 1 | Preparation & Mindset | 5 videos

Writing and editing start in the mind. We writers spend time preparing our writing space and preparing our document…so in order to edit with precision and continued progress we’re going to prepare your mind.

I’ll set you up for success by directing your focus to exactly what you need to focus on…and nothing else. 

Clarity and specific goals erase overwhelm and confusion. This module will help you achieve TOTAL clarity about where you’re going with your story and HOW you’re going to get there.

Module 1 Highlights:

• Apply 4 mindset shifts about how you’re going to enter this editing pass so you can move forward feeling clear and confident.
• We’ll talk through your editing goal so that you know what to focus on…and what to ignore while applying this edit. This cuts out the overwhelm!
• You’ll set an editing timeline for yourself to help keep up momentum as well as learn more about your personal and unique writing rhythms.
• The 3 most important editing questions to ask as you edit—that will guarantee you’ll never have a single plot hole.

Module 2 | Identifying Story Problems | 10 videos

Whoever said “an author is too close to their story to see the flaws” had clearly never learned the art of self-editing. With training your editing eye and with practice, you can work your way up to spotting 80% or even 90% of your story’s problems! And that’s exactly what this module teaches you to do: identify your story’s big-picture problems.

This will bring so much clarity and you’ll no longer wonder “Where do I start?” with the editing process. You’ll walk away from this module with a customized-to-your-story list of exactly what needs fixing.

Module 2 Highlights:

• Build a thorough list of your story’s problems to tighten and cement your story’s entire foundation.
• Benefit from creating an at-a-glance version of your entire story to reference as you edit so you can more clearly see the structure and holes.
• Walk step-by-step through your plot, characters, storyworld, and pacing to identify what exactly needs work in each of those areas.

Module 3 | Brainstorming Solutions | 7 videos

You’ve found the problems, and in this module you will solve your story problems, one by one, until you have the best solution for each one. Together we’ll make sure each solution has a purpose and a follow-through so there are no plot holes. We’ll dodge cliche story threads and add layers to your story.

This ultimate brainstorming session will set you up for a smoother and cleaner process when eventually plugging in the changes.

Module 3 Highlights:

• Brainstorm solutions to each and every story problem so you know exactly what to change, fix, or add when you dive back in to your manuscript.
• The art and science of choosing the best solution for your story so that you don’t keep rewriting and rewriting! One fix and it’s done!
• Tips on delivering solid plot twists to help you build curiosity and questions in your reader so they keep turning pages.
• How to ensure each side character has a unique voice & purpose to make your story multilayered .
• Nail your main character’s arc to give them layers and a logical emotional journey through the book, which will connect them all the deeper with your reader.

Module 4 | Applying the Changes | 7 videos

This is the first time you’ll enter back into your manuscript—into the midst of the words—to finally make the changes that will take your story to the next level. By this point you will have already identified your story’s problems and selected the best solutions to each one. All that’s left is to plug them in.

We’ll walk through that step by step, from how to set up your document to where to squeeze in changes to how to handle the mess that arises from moving so many words around. In this module, your book will officially graduate from “1st draft” to “2nd draft.”

Module 4 Highlights:

• Map out your approach & mindset for returning to your manuscript so you keep up momentum, through the last leg of this edit.

• Apply the new changes to your manuscript to finally bring all your hard work together, knowing exactly what you’re changing and why it is the best fit for strengthening your story.

• Go through the best ways to research necessary story details no matter what genre you’re writing, so that your world and story are immersive and feel “alive” to your reader.

• Smooth out final inconsistencies and transitions so the core of the story is solid and strong enough to carry the rest of the book.

Module 5 | Next Steps | 4 videos

There is a rhythm to editing and this module will ensure that you know exactly how to move forward once you’ve completed this edit. We’ll set you up for success by discussing the different options you have for a next step and where those steps might fit in your current writing and editing journey.

This final module will help you have a plan and no longer face with the overwhelm of the unknown.

Module 5 Highlights:

• Understand exactly what the next steps are for your manuscript so that you are never again paralyzed by the unknown or overwhelm.
• Clarify the roles of critique partners, beta readers, and freelance editors in your writing and editing process so you know when and how to use them.
• Know how to call your book officially “Done” without perfectionism getting in the way.

1. You just finished your first draft and want to self-edit the right way.
2. You’ve tried to self-edit before, but can’t seem to find a rhythm that works.
3. You want to grow your editing craft, but don’t know where to find the resources to teach you.
4. You’re not quite ready to hire a freelance editor because you know you can take your book further.
5. You’re already in the throes of editing, but it feels like sledding uphill.
6. You’re afraid you’ll never get your manuscript tight enough.
7. You feel overwhelmed by the idea of editing.