The Ultimate Self-Editing Workbook

Turn a messy first draft into a polished manuscript, pass by pass. The Self-Editing Workbook has 6 sections: start, structure, character, scene & line, polish and feedback.

Choose your format below. Each format is an instant download, and every format comes with the Recommended Resources for Authors PDF.

• Goodnotes & PDF: 32-page digital planner with clickable tabs, contents and back links; two designs: Classic and the colourful Pop design; printable US Letter versions of both designs.
• Microsoft Word: Editable Word document (.docx) with clickable contents; worked examples showing how each page is used; prints on A4 or US Letter.
• Notion template: Notion template you duplicate into your own workspace; linked dashboard and pages, with built-in databases and tracker tables; works on the free Notion plan, on desktop, tablet and phone.
• E-ink edition: Hyperlinked PDF made for e-ink tablets; larger text and high-contrast pages.

What's inside

6 sections, 32 pages in the PDF: Start, Structure, Character, Scene & Line, Polish and Feedback.

Fix the big picture first

• Read-through notes and a big-picture diagnosis
• A reverse outline of the draft you actually wrote
• Scene audit: mark each scene keep, cut, merge or rewrite
• Pacing map and a subplot check

Check every character

• Check your main character's arc in the finished draft
• Track the details that drift: eye colour, ages, names
• A voice check for each main character's dialogue
• Note what makes each voice distinct

Then go line by line

• A scene checklist for once the structure is fixed
• A line edit checklist to work sentence by sentence
• Crutch Words: search for your pet words and count them
• A dialogue pass, reading only the dialogue

Polish it, then share it

• Continuity & timeline: days, dates and who knows what, when
• A style sheet you can hand to your copy editor
• A proofreading checklist for the final pass
• Beta readers, revision notes and professional editing

Digital download for personal use. No physical item will be sent. © AuthorBlueprints