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Clemson | Life

How To Start A Novel, Hopefully: Part 5–Finishing Touches

Isabella Taylor Student Contributor, Clemson University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Clemson chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Isabella Taylor

Now, I don’t know anything about publishing a book. The only works I’ve published have been my Her Campus articles and a 10,000-word chapter book in fifth grade. While I don’t know much about publishing, I do know a bit about editing. 

I’ve always loved editing. Whether it be my friend’s essay or an article for Her Campus, I love the idea of tying up any loose ends and producing a final product. When I’m editing other people’s work, I like to maintain as much of their voice as I can, really just focusing on grammar and spelling. 

That’s what I want us to do for the finishing touches of our novel. I don’t want the characters to have any major changes, or the settings to be completely shifted at all. Really just focus on grammar and spelling, and if you do notice a section that needs a big reworking (to enhance the plot), then jot it down on a sticky note.

A week later, read any sticky notes you wrote up, and see if you really feel the same way anymore. If it’s been bothering you all week, then go ahead and take the time to completely fix it up, but if not, then just leave it as is, because you’ve already edited it at this point.

Also, if you want some good resources for editing, take a look at Tiffany Hawk’s article on her guide to editing! She has some amazing information and tips for any stage of editing. She just finished her own novel when writing this article, so the entire process is fresh on her mind.

If the sticky notes are piling up, but it’s looking like you’re going to need a much bigger revision than you originally thought, then I highly recommend reading this article by Michelle Mason. She originally tried using a new method for structuring her novel, but then realized that it wasn’t working how she needed it to. 

Michelle utilized a couple renown methods outlined in Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat Writes A Novel, which presents an easy-to-follow method for structuring a novel. She ended up having to restructure her whole novel, so don’t feel panicked or behind if that happens to you as well. Just do what feels right for your work, and if it takes longer than you initially thought, don’t sweat it. Creative work and inspiration aren’t entirely on your schedule…

Isabella Taylor

Clemson '29

Isabella Taylor is an undergraduate working towards her B.S. in Economics with a Political and Legal Theory Minor at Clemson University. She is a Lyceum Scholar and a member of the CUBS Living Learning Community at Clemson. Isabella's mother owns a lavender farm in Lenoir, NC that Isabella works on seasonally, so the idea of hard work is nothing new to her.

Isabella's late father was a decorated Captain in the US Air Force, and his unfortunate passing in 2012 has given her a strong desire to uplift those around facing similar hardships. She is also the middle of five daughters, all of which have always created a strong female network for her throughout her life. Without her younger sister, Olivia, Isabella wouldn't have made it as far as she has.

Isabella loves reading, especially books by Jane Austen and Sarah J. Maas. She is also an avid writer and lover of creative non-fiction, having developed this affection through reading her mother's many published personal memoirs. If not writing or reading, Isabella can be found studying at the library with friends, preferably with a PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) on her desk.