書き手のためのセルフ編集チェックリスト

Your first scene should raise a question, create tension, or introduce a character in motion. If the story truly starts in chapter three, consider cutting what comes before.

Check your chapter endings for unresolved tension, unanswered questions, or new complications. Chapters that wrap up neatly invite the reader to put the book down.

Around the halfway mark, something should change fundamentally — new information, a reversal, or a raised stake. A sagging middle usually means a missing midpoint turn.

Each subplot should either mirror, complicate, or resolve alongside the central conflict. If a subplot could be removed without affecting the main story, it likely should be.

The central question raised in act one should be answered in the climax — not by coincidence, but through the protagonist's choices and growth.

Something should change in every scene — a relationship shifts, information is revealed, a plan fails. If the characters are in the same position at the end as the start, the scene is static.

Cut the pleasantries and travel time. Start the scene as close to the conflict as possible and end it right after the turning point.

Even if the goal is small (get information, avoid someone, hide an emotion), it creates forward momentum. Scenes without character goals tend to feel like filler.

The reader should always know when time, place, or viewpoint has shifted. Check for disorienting jumps, but avoid "Meanwhile, back at the ranch" bridges.

Cover the names and read dialogue aloud. If you cannot tell who is speaking, their voices need more differentiation — through vocabulary, sentence length, rhythm, or attitude.

Characters should rarely say exactly what they mean. Look for conversations where people are too direct about their feelings or motivations — real people deflect, avoid, and imply.

Default to "said" and "asked." Tags like "exclaimed," "retorted," and "declared" draw attention to themselves. Use action beats instead when you need to break up long exchanges.

Characters should not explain things to each other that they would both already know. If you need to convey backstory through dialogue, make sure the conversation has its own reason to happen.

Search for "noticed," "felt," "saw," "heard," "realized," "seemed," and "wondered." Most can be cut to put the reader directly in the experience instead of watching the character experience it.

Run a search for "-ly" words. Keep adverbs that genuinely modify meaning ("She smiled coldly" where the smile is unexpected). Cut those that repeat what the verb already says ("shouted loudly").

Read a page aloud. If it feels monotonous, you likely have too many sentences of similar length. Mix short punches with longer, flowing sentences to control rhythm and emphasis.

Check for cliches ("cold as ice," "heart pounding like a drum") and mixed metaphors. Each comparison should feel specific to your characters and world.

Check that no two characters share starting letters, syllable counts, or similar sounds. Readers confuse "Martin" and "Marcus" more easily than you would expect.

Map out the days, seasons, and ages across your story. Pregnancy lasting eleven months or a character's birthday shifting between chapters will break reader trust.

Check eye colors, left-vs-right details, distances between locations, and character knowledge. A character cannot react to information they have not yet received in the story.

Standard manuscript format: 12pt Times New Roman or Courier, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, header with name/title/page number. Check specific agent or publisher requirements.