For me, there are two parts to this.
Part I
I try not to edit as I go along because, not only does it block my creative flow, but it ruins my confidence. It is easy to get immersed trying to perfect one irritating paragraph instead of forging on with the actual story, particularly at the times when inspiration is hard to find.
Continue reading Edit! Edit! Edit!
This tip was passed to me by a member of my writing group. By changing the font before I reviewed my novel, my eyes had to focus much harder and my brain had to concentrate so that I actually read each word rather than skimming over the text.
I thought my editing was finished until I printed out a hard copy. Hmmm! Essential part of the editing process for me now.
Put it aside
I know, it’s hard! But it is crucial. Having immersed myself in my novel for months and months, I became too close to it. I could no longer review my novel with any degree of perspective. By forcing myself to have a break while I worked on something else, this time was not wasted.
When I returned to my novel, I saw it with fresh eyes. Suddenly I was picking up inconsistencies or silly mistakes or awkward sentence structure which I had previously overlooked.