Congrats – you’ve finished your draft! You’ve read it over – perhaps two or three times – but something still feels off. The story is there, the characters work, but somehow it still isn’t as polished as you had envisioned.
That’s because most writers miss the same subtle issues when it comes to revising their WIPs. When you’re too close to a story, it’s easy to overlook the small issues that quietly derail your writing.
Self-editing for fiction writers isn’t just about typing grammar and spotting typos – it’s about catching the hidden problems that affect pacing, character voice, and emotional impact.
Today at What We Writing, we’re breaking down the biggest self-editing mistakes you’re probably overlooking – and how to fix them so your story can read as you intended.
Why Self-Editing Your Fiction Is So Tricky
Editing your own work sounds simple on the surface. But when you actually come round to doing it, you’ll find that it is very much not the case.
The biggest challenge here is something known as familiarity blindness. When you’ve spent so much time with a story, your brain begins filling in the gaps automatically. You read what you’re supposed to write, not what’s actually on the page, which makes common writing mistakes that much harder to spot.
There’s also the issue of emotional attachment. Particular scenes, lines, or bits of dialogue may feel crucial to you because you know how much effort has gone into them – even if they don’t quite work for the story. This can make it tough to cut or tweak things that are actually harming your writing.
On top of that, self-editing requires you to totally switch roles – from creative storytelling to critical editing. That switch-up isn’t always a smooth adjustment, particularly when you’re still close to the draft. It’s why editing your own writing can feel so frustrating, and why so many small yet important issues slip through unnoticed.
15 Mistakes You’re Making As An Editor
1. Overusing Adverbs Rather Than Strong Verbs
It’s easy to depend on adverbs such as quickly, quietly, or angrily to get your point across. They feel efficient – but usually signal that your verbs aren’t doing enough work on their own.
This is important because overusing adverbs can make your writing feel weaker and less vivid, which quickly dulls the overall reading experience.
Quick fix: Look for verb + adverb combinations and replace them with a stronger verb. Rather than “He walked slowly,” try “He crept” or “He dragged his feet.”
2. Telling Instead of Showing Emotion
You may write “she was nervous” or “he felt sad” to convey emotion quickly. While clear, this sort of telling keeps readers at a distance.
Emotion is far more engaging when readers can experience it through actions, dialogue, or physical reactions.
Quick fix: Replace abstract emotion with observable detail. Rather than “she was nervous,” try “her hands wouldn’t stop trembling as she lunged for the door.”
3. Dialogue Sounding Unnatural
When editing your own writing, it’s easy to overlook stiff or overly formal dialogue. After all, you know what each of the characters means.
Unnatural dialogue breaks the immersion and makes characters feel far less believable, which can quickly haul readers out of the story.
Quick fix: Read your dialogue out loud. If it sounds clunky or awkward to you, either simplify it or break it up.
4. Repeating the Same Words Too Often
You may not notice repeated words or phrases when editing your own work, particularly if they’re spread out across scenes.
Repetition can make your prose feel unpolished, even if the story itself is strong.
Quick fix: Do a targeted search for commonly overused words (like just, really, suddenly). Replace or remove them where possible.
5. Weak Sentence Openings
Beginning too many sentences the same way – especially with character names or simple structures – can quickly make your writing feel predictable.
Varied sentence structure keeps your prose engaging and improves the overall flow of your story.
Quick fix: Look at paragraph openings and mix them up. Start off some sentences with actions, descriptions, or dialogue, instead of always utilising the same patterns.
6. Inconsistent Character Voice
Characters can subtly shift in tone or personality without you ever noticing, particularly across multiple drafts.
This is important because a consistent voice helps readers connect with characters and believe in them. Inconsistencies can soon become jarring.
Quick fix: Review your key dialogue scenes and ask whether each character sounds distinct and consistent with how you’ve established them.
7. Info-Dumping Too Early
It’s tempting to explain your work, characters, or backstory upfront; however, too much information too soon can overwhelm readers.
Heavy exposition slows pacing and reduces curiosity, making readers far less likely to stay engaged.
Quick fix: Cut or move background information. Introduce details slowly through action, dialogue, or context, rather than via huge blocks of exposition.
Check Out Our Guide On Writing Exposition (Without Info-Dumping)
8. Scenes That Don’t Move The Story Forward
Some scenes may be well-written, but might not actually serve your plot or character arcs.
These moments can grind your story down and make it feel unfocused, even if they’re enjoyable on their own.
Quick fix: Ask: Does this scene unveil something new or change anything? If your answer is a hard ‘no’, cut it out or combine it with another scene.
9. Over-Explaining Actions
Writers often spell out every single action to make sure they’re nice and clear in their early drafts.
However, too much detail can soon bog down the pacing and make scenes feel unnecessarily slow.
Quick fix: Trust your readers to fill in the gaps. Rather than describing every step, focus on the key actions that matter in the moment.
10. Inconsistent Point of View
Small slips in points of view – such as revealing thoughts your POV character wouldn’t know – are easy to miss when editing your own writing.
These inconsistencies can confuse readers and weaken narrative clarity.
Quick fix: Double-check every scene and ensure everything is filtered through the chosen perspective consistently.
11. Ignoring Pacing Issues
Some sections might drag, whereas others feel rushed; however, these pacing issues can be tricky to spot when you know the story so well.
Poor pacing affects tension and reader engagement, making even strong plots feel uneven.
Quick fix: Pay attention to where your interest drops as a reader. Tighten slower sections and expand on the moments that feel too rushed.
12. Forgetting Subtext in Dialogue
If your characters always say precisely what they mean, dialogue can soon feel flat and overly direct.
Subtext means lending depth and realism, making conversations more engaging and layered.
Quick fix: Allow characters to imply things instead of stating them outright. Think about what’s unsaid as much as what’s spoken.
Check Out Our Complete Guide On How To Make Dialogue Pop
13. Overusing Filler Words
Words such as just, really, very and that are prime suspects for slipping into drafts without bringing any value to the party.
Too many filler words weaken your prose and make it feel less polished.
Quick fix: Do a sweep specifically for filler words and remove as many as possible without affecting the clarity.
14. Not Cutting Enough
One of the hardest aspects of self-editing is dropping scenes you’ve come to love.
But holding onto necessary content can dilute your story and lessen its impact.
Quick fix: Be ruthless. If a sentence, paragraph, or scene doesn’t serve the story, cut it – even if you like it.
15. Ending Scenes Too Late
It’s common to let scenes run past their natural endpoint by adding extra explanations or wrap-ups.
This can weaken the impact of critical moments and slow your pacing to a standstill.
Quick fix: End scenes earlier – ideally right after a strong beat, line, or shift. Leave a little space for the audience to carry the momentum forward.
A Simple Self-Editing Checklist For Fiction Writers
If you’re not sure where to begin when editing your own WIP, a simple checklist can make the process feel much more manageable. Instead of attempting to fix everything all at once, work through your draft one step at a time and focus on one area at a time.
Here’s a quick self-editing checklist for fiction writers you can use as you revise:
- Cut unnecessary words and tighten sentences wherever possible
- Replace weak verbs and remove overused adverbs
- Check dialogue for realism – does it sound natural when it’s read out loud?
- Scan for any repeated words, phrases, or sentence structures
- Ensure each scene moves the plot forward or develops a character
- Review pacing scene-by-scene (are some parts dragging or rushed?)
- Look for “telling” and replace it with more vivid showing
- Check for consistency in character voice and point of view
- Remove filler words such as like, just and very
- Trim or rewrite sections that feel overly long or repetitive
This sort of structured approach not only helps you spot your common writing mistakes but also makes the process of how to edit a novel feel far less daunting.
Check Out Our Guide On How To Self-Edit Without Losing Your Mind
How To Self-Edit Your Novel More Effectively
Once you know what to look for, the next step is improving how you approach the process. Strong self-editing isn’t all about catching each thing as you go – it’s about using the right strategies to see your work more clearly.
One of the best self-editing tips for fiction writers we can serve up is to take a break before you begin revising. Even a few days away from your draft can give you enough distance to spot issues you would have otherwise skipped over. Coming back with a pair of fresh eyes makes a huge difference.
It also helps to edit in passes rather than attempting to fix everything all at once. Focus on one of the elements at a time – such as dialogue, pacing, or prose. For example, do one read-through just for dialogue realism, and then another for sentence flow, and then another for overall structure. This helps keep the process focused and far less overwhelming.
Reading your work aloud is another simple but powerful technique. It quickly highlights any awkward phrasing, unnatural dialogue, and pacing issues that are easy to skip past when reading in your head.
Ultimately, though, editing your own writing becomes far easier when you slow things down and approach it with intention. Small, focused improvements add up – and over time, your ability to spot and fix issues will become second nature.
Wrap Up
Self-editing is one of the most handy skills you can pick up on our writing journey – however, it’s also one of the easiest to misunderstand. Small, easy-to-miss issues can quietly stack up, affecting everything from pacing to character voice and overall impact.
The good news here is that once you know roughly what to watch out for, these common writing mistakes soon become far easier to catch and fix. With a more intentional approach, editing your own writing stops feeling overwhelming and starts becoming a powerful part of the creative process.
Take your time, work through your draft one step at a time, and don’t be afraid to make sweeping changes when they’re needed.
Which of these self-editing mistakes are you guilty of making most often? Feel free to share in the comments – or pass this along to another writer who may find it helpful!
Check Out Our Complete Guide To The 5-Pass Editing Method
James has been passionate about storytelling ever since he could hold a pen. Inspired by the epic fantasy and historical dramas he devoured in his youth, his work now centers on dark, psychological tales featuring intense, introspective characters and atmospheric, gothic undertones. In 2025, he founded What We Writing to share his creative journey and the lessons he’s learned along the way with fellow writers and passionate storytellers.
