by Alycia W. Morales @AlyciaMorales

Have you taken yourself back to school with your self-editing methods? I often work with new writers who want to take their manuscripts to the next level, hoping to ace that query for an agent or catch that editor’s eye at the publishing house. And whether I am working on my own manuscripts or a client’s, there are a few things I make sure I search for before finishing up my edits.

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none” inject=”#Writing #Writingtips #BRMCWC”]21 Things Genius Writers Search for In Their Manuscripts by @AlyciaMorales on @BRMCWC[/tweet_box]

Here are 21 things that genius writers search for in their manuscripts (and you should too):

1. Repetition of words within sentences and paragraphs.
2. Repetition of words throughout the manuscript, also known as your “pet words.”
3. Use of the same verb multiple times, such as smile, frown, laugh, cry, walk, etc.
4. Use of the same emotions over and over again. Mix it up a bit. Let your character grow.
5. Overuse of adverbs.
6. Overuse of starting a sentence with and, but, or so. (There are others.)
7. “Extra” words, such as just, very, that, and of.
8. Too many adjectives in a row.
9. Begins or starts to do something. If they started, they’re doing it. Let them do the thing.
10. Feel or made. These are telling emotion words. Show instead of tell.
11. Caused or made. These imply telling instead of showing what happened.
12. Saw or heard. Again, telling instead of showing what the character is experiencing.
13. Double spaces between sentences. Search and replace with one space.
14. Ellipses and em dashes. Try not to use these. Or do so sparingly.
15. ALL CAPS. Don’t use them.
16. Exclamation points. Only use one. If you really need it.
17. Semicolons. It’s better to stop and start sentences with a period and capital letter. If you must use a semicolon, know and understand how to do so and why you’re doing so.
18. Quotation marks. Are they closed?
19. Did you end questions with a question mark?
20. Homonyms. Have you used the correct spelling of there, their, or they’re?
21. Make sure all character names that were changed have been updated.

It doesn’t take more than an hour to make sure that you are providing your prospective editor or agent with a clean manuscript, which makes you look:

1. Professional
2. Like you care about your story/words
3. Like you really do want to be a genius writer

PS – You should totally do this before working with a freelance editor too.

Will you be taking your self-editing back to school this month? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Alycia Morales is a freelance editor and writer. Her work has been featured in numerous magazines and several compilation books. Thanks to her mad editing skills, her clients have won multiple awards in several national contests. In addition, she’s the prior Conference Assistant for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Alycia is currently working on a nonfiction project while characters are running around in her mind waiting to be released into children’s books and YA fantasy novels. Surviving the Year of Firsts: A Mom’s Guide to Grieving Child Loss will release on July 30, 2024.

When she isn’t busy writing, editing, and reading, Alycia enjoys spending time with her husband taking hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Carolinas or running off to the beach with friends. She loves coffee, sweet tea, crafting, and watching crime shows.

Alycia can be found at alyciawmorales.com. She hangs out on Facebook and Instagram.