Step 12 to building a novel. Discovery Writers, Check This Out! 1-12 Steps To Write A Novel

 https://www.amazon.com/Building-Novel-12-Steps-Discovery-ebook/dp/B0FSHQ9QF1?ref    

Chapter 12 

Step 12: Final Inspection - Grammar, Flow, and Reading Aloud

You’ve reached the final phase of building your novel. The structure is solid; the details are in place, and now it’s time for the final inspection.

This fourth draft is about polishing your prose until it shines, ensuring the reading experience is smooth and immersive. It’s about fixing the squeaky floorboards and touching up the paint—the small imperfections that, if left unaddressed, might distract from the overall effect of what you’ve created.

Here’s how to approach this final draft:

Read aloud: You really need to do this! Read your entire manuscript aloud, either to yourself or using text-to-speech software. Your ears will catch what your eyes miss. I prefer to use text-to-speech software with a mechanical-type voice. It’s just what works best for me. Look for these the following:

· Awkward phrasing

· Repeated words or sounds

· Missing words, phrases, or wrong words

· Unintentional rhymes

· Run-on sentences

· Dialogue that doesn’t work

· Inconsistent tense or point of view

 

The Grammar and Mechanics: Now is the time to address grammar problems. Use grammar-checking software if you like, but remember it’s a tool, not a replacement for your judgment. Sometimes, grammar rules should be broken for style or effect.

 

· Proper punctuation

· Consistent formatting for thoughts, emphasis, text messages, etc.

· Correct use of commonly confused words (their/there/they’re, etc.)

· Properly formatted dialogue

· Consistent spelling (especially of names and places)

· Appropriate paragraph breaks        

Flow and Rhythm: Check your prose.

· Vary sentence length for rhythm and emphasis

· Break up overly long paragraphs

· Ensure transitions between scenes and chapters are smooth

· Use sentence fragments and run-ons intentionally, not accidentally

· End chapters and sections with sentences that have impact

        

The Checklist Method: Create personalized checklists of your common writing weaknesses.:

· Overuse of “just,” “very,” and “suddenly”

· Too many sentences beginning with “He” or “She”

· Characters nodding, sighing, or shrugging too frequently

· Repetitive sentence structures

· Unnecessary dialogue tags

Use your word processor’s search function to find and evaluate each instance.

 

Consistency Check: One final review for consistent details:

· Character descriptions (eye color, height, etc.)

· Timeline (seasons, days of the week, character ages)

· Setting details (distances, room layouts, etc.)

· Special terminology within your story world

 

The First and Last Impressions: Give extra attention to your opening pages and final chapter. These create the strongest impressions for readers:

· Does your first page establish voice, character, and situation effectively?

· Do the first few pages raise questions that compel readers to continue?

· Does your ending provide satisfaction? Do you leave room for more story if you’re writing a series?

· Have you cut any unnecessary epilogue that weakens the impact?

 

The “One More Thing” Trap: Be wary of the urge to keep making “just one more change” indefinitely. At some point, you need to declare your novel complete.

 Congratulations:

After this final draft, your novel won’t be perfect—no novel ever is—but it will be the best you can make it at this point in your writing journey. It will be ready for others to read.

This is a moment to celebrate. You’ve done something extraordinary. You’ve built a novel from nothing, discovered its shape as you wrote, and refined it into something that others can experience and enjoy.

The process I’ve described—from breaking ground to final inspection—has focused on craft, not art. I’ve talked about structure, technique, and process because these can be taught. But the spark that makes your novel uniquely yours—that comes from you alone.

Trust that spark. Nurture it through each draft. Let it guide you when rules and advice fail.

And remember that every novel you write teaches you how to write that novel—usually just as you’re finishing it. The next one will be different. You’ll make new mistakes and discover new strengths.

That’s what keeps things interesting. It has kept me interested for decades, and I expect it will keep me interested until the end.

Building a novel is never simple, especially for discovery writers. It’s messy, challenging, and sometimes frustrating. But it’s also one of the most rewarding creative acts possible. You create worlds and people from nothing but imagination and perseverance.

So, go build your novel. Make it sturdy. Make it beautiful. Make it yours.

Building A Novel in 12 Steps: Especially for Discovery Writers

 https://www.amazon.com/Building-Novel-12-Steps-Discovery-ebook/dp/B0FSHQ9QF1?ref

Chapter 11

Step 11: Detail Work: Polishing Language and Character

You’ve built the structure. You’ve created a cohesive story. Now it’s time for the detail work that transforms a functional manuscript into a compelling one. This is your third revision—where good writing becomes good storytelling.

Think of this phase as adding the elements that make a house a home. The walls are up; the roof doesn’t leak, but now you’re installing the beautiful staircase, the perfect light fixtures, the crown molding that makes each room distinctive.

Here’s what to focus on in your third draft:

Powerful Dialogue: Good dialogue does multiple things simultaneously—it reveals character, advances the plot, creates subtext, and sounds authentic. Review your conversations with these questions:

· Does each character have a distinctive voice?

· Is the dialogue free of unnecessary exposition? We do not want that.

· Does the subtext (what’s not being said but exists just beneath the surface) create tension?

· Have you cut small talk and mundane exchanges?

Try this exercise: Take a crucial dialogue scene and rewrite it three different ways—one where both characters are honest, one where both are hiding something, and one where they have completely different understandings of the conversation. Even if you don’t use these versions, they’ll help you find the most compelling approach.

Deepening Characterization: By now, you know your characters well. Use that knowledge to add layers:

· Give important characters distinctive habits, expressions, or perspectives

· Ensure secondary characters have their own motivations, not just serving the protagonist

· Add moments of internal contradiction—people are rarely consistent

· Show characters through the eyes of others for a fuller picture

· Create moments where characters surprise the reader, yet remain true to themselves

Scene Dynamics: Each scene should have its own arc of tension and release. For important scenes, identify:

· The power dynamics at the beginning and how they shift

· The goals of each character in the scene

· The obstacle or conflict that creates tension

· How the scene changes the story situation

· The emotional impact on both characters and readers

Emotional Impact: This is where many technically competent manuscripts fall short. For pivotal moments, ask:

· Have you earned this emotional beat through proper setup?

· Are you allowing readers to feel the emotion rather than just describing it?

· Have you varied emotional notes throughout ?

· Are you using physical sensations to convey feeling?

· Have you avoided melodrama and sentimentality?

For each important emotional scene, identify the primary emotion you want readers to feel. Then, make sure not to name that emotion directly in the scene. Show everything around it, but let readers supply the label themselves.

Setting as Character: Bring your locations to life:

· Appeal to all five senses, not just the visual, when describing…

· Show how settings reflect or contrast with characters’ emotions

· Make settings dynamic—changing with weather, time, circumstances

· Use settings to create mood and atmosphere

· Include specific, vivid details that only someone who’s been there would know

I definitely think of Eden, the town, in my series Strangely Scary Funny as a character. If your setting is important (as it is in fantasy, horror, and sci fi in particular) consider thinking of it as a character when you’re bringing it to life.

 

Language Precision: Now’s the time to make every word count:

· Replace generic verbs (“walked,” “said,” “looked”) with more specific ones when it adds value

· Cut adjectives and adverbs when strong nouns and verbs can do the work

· Vary sentence structure and length for rhythm and emphasis

· Eliminate pet phrases and words you overuse

· Make metaphors and similes fresh and relevant to your story world

Beginnings and Endings: Polish the most important parts of your novel:

· Does your opening immediately engage with character, conflict, and/or question?

· Does your ending provide emotional satisfaction while reflecting the journey of your story?

· Have you cut unnecessary preamble or epilogue? Watch out for this, especially in the beginning.

The Rule of Three: In storytelling, three is a magic number. Important concepts, images, or phrases often benefit from appearing three times throughout your manuscript—first introducing, then developing, finally culminating. Look for opportunities to create these patterns.

The Unexpected Turn: Review each chapter for predictability. Where can you add a twist, revelation, or surprise that keeps readers engaged?

Clarity Check: Make sure readers will understand what’s happening without being spoon-fed:

· Have beta readers or an editor identify confusing passages/ these are often hard for the author to identify.

· Clarify without over-explaining

· Make sure important information stands out from background details

This level-of-detail work is demanding, but it’s also deeply satisfying. You’re no longer wrestling with big structural problems—you’re crafting moments, creating beauty, adding depth.

Don’t try to perfect everything at once. You might go through the whole manuscript or sections focusing on one aspect, such as dialogue or description (adding sensory details, which almost always helps), or emotional beats or what’s at stake in a scene.

By the end, your manuscript should feel like a real book—one that pulls readers in and keeps them engaged from beginning to end. You’ve moved from builder to craftsperson. Your novel isn’t just standing; it’s taking on character and charm.

There’s just one more step to go.

 

 

For Discovery Writers: Step 10, How to Build A Novel, The Second Draft

 Chapter 10: The Second Draft - Bringing the Story into Focus

With the major structural issues addressed, it's time for your second draft. This is often where your novel starts to feel like a real book rather than a collection of scenes.

The second draft is your opportunity to refine the entire manuscript with the incredible advantage of knowing the complete story. When you wrote the first draft, you were discovering. Now you're shaping with purpose.

Think of it this way: your first draft was like walking through a forest at night with a flashlight, seeing only what was directly in front of you. Now you have a map of the entire forest. You can see which paths connect, where the dead ends are, and how to create the most compelling journey.

Here's how to approach your second draft:

Start at the Beginning: Unlike the targeted revisions of your major renovation phase, the second draft means going through your entire manuscript from page one. You're creating a cohesive reading experience.

The Through-Line: With your complete story in mind, strengthen the narrative thread that pulls readers from beginning to end. Every scene should connect to this through-line, either advancing the plot, developing characters, or building your world in ways that matter to the outcome.

Foreshadowing and Payoff: You know  your story now. You can look for places to Reverse Engineer.  You can create foreshadowing. For example, let’s say you know that on page 88 the two main characters kiss. SO you want to lead the reader to this important moment in the development of their relationship by some progression. You can create foreshadowing for the reader because of what you know will happen later in the novel The Art of Setups and Payoffs: Make a list of every major reveal, twist, or climactic moment in your story. Then ensure each has adequate setup. Conversely, check that every setup has a satisfying payoff. Readers notice when you promise something and don't deliver.

Strengthening Character Arcs: Ensure your characters' growth (or deliberate lack thereof) follows a convincing progression. Now that you know who they become by the end, you can make their journey there more believable and compelling.

Finding the Balance Between Showing and Telling: Discovery writers often switch between showing and telling somewhat randomly in first drafts. In your second draft, make strategic choices:

Show (through scene, dialogue, and action) when:

·       A moment has emotional significance

·       An interaction changes a relationship

·       A character makes an important decision

·       Something happens that changes the course of the story

Tell (through summary and exposition) when:

·       You're bridging between important scenes

·       You need to convey background information quickly

·       The details would be repetitive or unnecessary

·       You're intentionally creating distance for stylistic reasons

·       CONTRARY, to the advice of many writing books you do not always need to show rather than tell…

Pacing Adjustments: Modify the rhythm of your story by expanding important moments and condensing less crucial ones. Add scenes where the story moves too quickly for emotional impact. Trim or cut scenes where the energy drags.

Consistency Check: Ensure details remain consistent throughout—character descriptions, abilities, timelines, settings, rules of your world. What was nebulous in your first draft must become concrete now.

Strengthening Beginnings and Endings: Pay special attention to chapter beginnings and endings. Each chapter opening should raise a question or create tension that propels readers forward. Each ending should satisfy while prompting readers to continue.

The Language Layer: While you're not focusing primarily on line-by-line prose yet, start shaping your novel's voice more consistently. If certain passages sing while others fall flat, begin bringing everything up to your best standard.

Cut Mercilessly: Most first drafts are too long, not too short. Be ruthless about cutting:

·       Scenes that duplicate the same purpose or emotional beat

·       Extended passages where nothing changes

·       Clever writing that doesn't serve the story

·       Characters who could be combined or eliminated

·       Subplots that don't connect meaningfully to the main story

I always challenge myself to cut at least 10% from my first draft, and I've never regretted a single cut once the manuscript was finished.

The Read-Aloud Test: As you revise each chapter, read portions aloud. Your ear will catch problems your eye misses—awkward phrasing, repetitive sentence structures, dialogue that doesn't sound natural.

What if you're still discovering significant aspects of your story during this draft? That's normal for discovery writers. The second draft often reveals deeper layers of meaning and connection. Remain open to these discoveries while maintaining focus on creating a cohesive whole.

By the end of your second draft, your novel should have:

·       A clear, compelling narrative arc

·       Consistent, developing characters

·       Logical plot progression

·       Appropriate pacing and tension

·       A cohesive thematic resonance

·       A satisfying balance of setup and payoff

Does this mean your novel is ready? Not quite. But it should now be recognizably the book you want it to be, even if it needs further refinement.

The second draft transforms your raw material into a real novel. It brings your story into focus. The remaining drafts are about making that image sharper, clearer, and more vivid.

You're getting there. Keep going.

Step 9 to Building A Novel: Revision: Tackling Big Problems

 Step  9: Major Renovations - Tackling Big Problems First

Now you’re staring at your list of problems and thinking, “My God, this is hopeless.” It’s not. I promise. What you need is a renovation strategy that addresses the foundation before you start picking the colors you want to paint the bedrooms.

Honestly, for me revision is where I have the most fun with writing. I mean, the discovery process in the first draft is exciting and often exhilarating when things come together and frustrating and worrying when they don’t.

But in revision you get to really dig into the manuscript and identify problems and fix those problems. You also get to refine ideas, scenes, characters that were a little blurry in the first draft. It’s a chance to bring your whole story into focus. Finally, you get to work on really making your sentences sharp and worthy of your story. Mark Twain said the difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug. You get it. In revision, you get an opportunity that we don't always get in life: second, third, fourth chances.

For me, I revise two or three times and then go over a fourth time for grammar and polish. Each revision takes less time than the previous one for me.

***

The most common approach is to begin with the big problems and end with the small. Structure before scenes. Scenes before sentences. If you start polishing prose in a chapter you might end up cutting entirely, you’re wasting precious time and energy.

Big problems typically fall into a few categories. You need to address these in your first revision.

Structural Problems: Maybe your novel starts too slowly. Or the middle sags like a worn-out mattress. Or the ending comes out of nowhere. These are foundational issues that affect the entire book. Identify them and know that these will take some time to correct.

Character Arcs: Perhaps your protagonist doesn’t change meaningfully over the course of the story. Or their decisions don’t drive the plot. Or they’re simply not compelling enough to carry a novel. You’ve got to see this even if you love your characters. See them for who they are. If you find a weakness, find a way to improve it.

Plot Logic: The story might contain significant holes, contradictions, or a deus ex machina (those convenient coincidences that solve problems too easily).

Stakes and Tension: Maybe the conflict isn’t compelling enough, or the consequences of failure aren’t clear or meaningful.

Here’s how to tackle these big issues without getting overwhelmed:

Create a Revision Plan: List your major problems in order of priority. Structural issues usually come first because fixing them often solves character and plot problems automatically. Be specific about what needs fixing and why.

The Scene List: Create a simple list of every scene in your novel with a one-sentence description of what happens and why it matters. This bird’s-eye view makes structural problems more obvious. Too many scenes with the same purpose? A character who disappears for 100 pages? A subplot that goes nowhere? You’ll see it.

Do you have several scenes doing the same thing? Cut the redundancy. Your manuscript will be stronger.

The chapter-by-chapter outline: For more complex revisions, create a detailed outline of your existing manuscript. For each chapter, note the key events, character developments, reveals, and emotional beats. Then, create a parallel outline of how the revised version should look. This gives you a roadmap for reconstruction.

The Character Journey Map: For character problems, track your protagonist’s emotional state, beliefs, and goals at key points in the story. Where does their arc stall or contradict itself? Where do they need stronger reactions to events in the plot? This map highlights where character development needs work.

The “Why” Chain: For plot logic issues, create a chain of cause and effect. Each major event should have a clear cause (“This happened because...”) and consequence (“Which led to...”). Notice I wrote major events. Not every event needs a cause-and-effect chain, but your major ones do.

Targeted Rewrites: Instead of revising the entire manuscript at once, focus on specific sections that need major work. This will make your revision faster.

The “Zero Draft” Technique: For truly problematic sections, try rewriting them from scratch without looking at your first draft. You might try writing a few sentences to discover what you want to do in the scene. Then rewrite the scene.

The Cut-and-Keep File: Create a separate document for material you cut. Nothing is truly deleted—it’s just set aside. Sometimes this is a good way to allow you to cut without getting emotional about the loss. It’s not a loss. It’s just a relocation.

What about those sections you know need work but aren’t sure how to fix? Try these approaches:

The “What If?” Game: Brainstorm three radically different ways the section could play out. One may be right. If none is right, one might spark an idea.

The Purpose Test: Ask what this section needs to accomplish for the story. Is there a more effective, interesting way to achieve that purpose?

The Character-Driven Solution: When plot problems seem intractable, let character guide you. What would this specific character actually do in this situation, based on everything we know about them?

The Reader Question: What question does the reader have at this point in the story? What answer would be both satisfying and surprising?

The biggest challenge during major renovations is maintaining momentum. Revision can feel endless, especially when you’re restructuring significant portions of your novel. To avoid revision fatigue:

Set Concrete Goals: “Today I’ll rewrite the confrontation scene” is better than “Today I’ll work on the manuscript.”

Celebrate Milestones: Acknowledge progress when you solve a major problem. These victories fuel further work.

Remember, you don’t need to fix everything at once. The goal of this phase is to address the fundamental problems that would make more detailed revision pointless. Once your structure is solid, your characters consistent, and your plot logical, you’re ready for the comprehensive second revision.

Revision number one is still a bit messy, but it will clarify your story, especially for the discovery writer. This is where discovery writers often work out their story. Embrace that. The novel you end up with might be quite different from what you first imagined. That’s okay. In fact, it probably is you finding your best story.

Major renovations take courage. You might need to cut your favorite scenes, rewrite entire chapters, or even change your ending. Trust that these big changes will make your novel better.

I find that I do a lot of demolition and a lot of renovation in revision, especially in the first revision.