Is it finished yet?
Every author has asked this question on everything they’ve ever written.
Is it finished yet?
The answer may not be too hard to discover—or you could go through several more rounds of editing, only to ask the question AGAIN. When you’re a writer, it comes with the territory.
But it doesn’t need to be painful, or even terribly involved. A re-read (or two) of the manuscript, and asking yourself a few questions about what you’ve read (meaning what’s ON THE PAGE, not in your notes or your head) will give you the answer in a few days.
I’m going to share my Is It Finished Yet? framework here, and at the end you can click on the link to get my framework summarized in a handy checklist you can print out or use as a fillable PDF while evaluating your book. Or story. This post is on finding out if your fiction writing is finished yet. A future post will address nonfiction writing.
Caveat: If you’re still drafting, do not attempt to edit. First get the whole story out on paper.
In general, the editing process works in stages (which editors call “passes”), working from Big Picture down to tiny details. First you will evaluate the structure—plot, chapter order, character and narrative arcs, pacing—and then do an editing pass to fix those things. Next you’ll address paragraph and sentence-level problems in a copy- or line-edit (or both), then proofread to address spelling, punctuation, and consistency. Working this way and in this order keeps you from working at the sentence level on scenes or lines that may later get cut.
So let’s go back to you, and your manuscript. It will take you a few days to complete the process I am laying out for you.
What, you say?? A few DAYS? Why does it take that long???
Well, TBH, It could take longer—which you’ll see more about below--but it should take you a minimum of 24 hours PLUS the time for you to answer the questions. That’s 24 hours from the time you set the manuscript aside.
The first step in my Is It Finished Yet? Framework is:
Set it aside.
I know, it’s hard to let go of it. You’ve been eating, sleeping and breathing your book for, probably at least, months. Maybe years.
But in order to see clearly what you’ve actually written on its pages, not what you MEANT to put in, you need to Get Some Distance. It’s the same reason it’s not recommended that authors proofread their own work, but hire someone, or at the very least, enlist a friend or colleague to cast their fresh eyes on your work. Their imaginations don’t hallucinate the word you meant to use or the way you intended for that description to come out.
So put that manuscript in a desk drawer for at least 24 hours. Do something else.
Work on another project, clean the house, take your kids to the beach, lounge on the sofa with some bonbons and that new thriller you’ve been meaning to get to. Shoot baskets with the neighbor kid or plan your next vacation or DIY project.
Do something that engrosses you, not something tedious like mowing the lawn, which is too conducive to ruminating about the manuscript you just (maybe) finished.
Rule Number 2: Set a Deadline for Re-reading Your Book.
No sooner than 24 hours from the time you put it in that desk drawer. But you can leave it longer if you want. Maybe you’re having a great time NOT working on it! Maybe the perfect time to set it aside is when you’re leaving on a family vacation, or moving house, or starting a new job.
But decide WHEN you will get back to it. Tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now. Maybe three months, tops. So set a deadline and WRITE IT DOWN or make a note of it in your google/outlook/whatever digital calendar you use.
Rule #3: Read Your Book as Much Like a Reader (not the author) as you can. Putting your fresh eyes (or ears--see below) on your book will give you an accurate impression of the reader’s experience. And after all, that’s why you write, right? To give your readers an experience, an immersion into a world of characters and conflict they have never known before.
Set the book aside for a while, then return to it, preferably in a different format.
What, you say? I say, since printing out an entire manuscript is cost-prohibitive and wasteful, consider one of these two methods: either change the font and size if you want to read it on your device, or download a text-to-voice app and LISTEN to your book.
Then,
Rule #4: Evaluate for one thing at a time! This first pass is for Structure. Trying to revise grammar, plot, pacing, and style all in one pass instead of working in stages is a recipe for head-banging frustration!
And now you’re going to find out if your story holds together. Focus first on big-picture issues such as major structure, clarity, and consistency, plot, pacing, structure, transitions, and whether scenes or sections actually earn their place.
Does the manuscript have a clear premise, goal, or throughline?
Are the main stakes obvious and meaningful?
Is the structure working, or are scenes/sections missing, repetitive, or out of order?
Does each chapter or section earn its place?
Are pacing and transitions smooth?
Here is a handy checklist to use when reading (or listening to) your book.
I. Big Picture
[ ] Does the manuscript have a clear premise, goal, or throughline?
[ ] Are the main stakes obvious and meaningful?
[ ] Is the structure working, or are scenes/sections missing, repetitive, or out of order?
[ ] Does each chapter or section earn its place?
[ ] Are pacing and transitions smooth?
Character and voice
[ ] Are characters distinct in voice, motivation, and behavior?
[ ] Are names, traits, and details consistent?
[ ] Is point of view consistent within each scene?
[ ] Does the narration sound like one clear voice?
II. Paragraph and sentence level issues
[ ] Can any sentences be simplified?
[ ] Have I removed filler words and needless repetition?
[ ] Have I avoided overexplaining?
[ ] Are verbs strong and specific?
[ ] Have I cut clichés, vague wording, and weak adverbs?
III. Clarity, correctness, and consistency
[ ] Are timelines, facts, and descriptions consistent?
[ ] Have I checked spelling, punctuation, and grammar?
[ ] Are capitalization, italics, and formatting consistent?
[ ] Have I created a style sheet for recurring terms, names, and preferences?
IV. Author heart-to-heart (with his/her/themself!)
[ ] Have I read the work aloud?
[ ] Have I printed it or viewed it in a different format?
[ ] Have I taken a break and reread with fresh eyes?
[ ] Have I run a spellcheck, but not relied on it alone?
[ ] Have I asked beta readers or trusted readers for feedback?
Finally, if you can answer all the following questions with a “Hell, yes!”, your book is probably ready to be formatted and you can order a cover design.
You can read the whole manuscript straight through and the big-picture structure holds together.
Any potential new edits are mostly tiny, cosmetic, or circular rather than substantive.
You’ve answered the reader’s likely questions and fulfilled the book’s core promise.
Another pass feels more likely to damage the work than improve it.
A trusted reader can review it without flagging major gaps in logic, clarity, or completeness.
If you can’t answer Yes to the questions above, and there are significant problems with the items further up the page, invest in a professional manuscript review. You, and your book, deserve it!