The editor's hat

Today I finished the first draft of the second volume of "The Factory of Gods" after several months of work. It's more than enough reason to be happy, it's time to rest before moving on to one of the phases I least like, the one in which you have to put on the editor's hat.

When you put on the editor's hat you stop being that cheerful and smiling person, there is no room for such waste of time, an editor is effective, concise and clear. And that's how our novels should be so that an editor can give them his approval.

During this review phase, there are several things I try to correct throughout the text:

• Don't use too many words.

• Don't use too complex words.

• Don't have redundant phrases.

• Don't explain things too much, trust the readers.

• Don't use too long sentences, the reader loses attention.

• At the structural level, it is also a good time to look for holes in the plot, to make sure that the story is consistent.

Apart from these rules, any publisher who reads your novel will apply many more, so you'd better be prepared and invest time and energy in this first phase of review.