What happens once you’ve written your story? How will you take it from first draft to realise its full potential? Anna Davis from Curtis Brown Creative advises you on what to do next.

In the excitement of typing ‘The End’ on your completed first draft, you could be forgiven for thinking your job is done. In fact, it’s time to begin one of the most important parts of the process, in which you’ll roll up your sleeves, interrogate your material and figure out exactly what needs to be done to your work in order to make it the best possible version of itself. Welcome to the Big Picture Edit!

This article is written primarily with the novel in mind because that’s my area of expertise. But you’ll find that much of what I have to say here applies also to other forms, such as narrative non-fiction and even short stories.

Editing your own work is hard – and the secret to getting it right is to make a really comprehensive plan before you begin. You might love to write purely by instinct in first draft, but if you rush into your rewrite without rigorously working out what needs attention, you’re quite likely to get lost in the edit and never emerge again. Either that or you’ll just fiddle about line by line and never really address the all-important Big Picture. With a good plan in hand, you can start your rewrite with confidence and energy – and you may find it enjoyable!