Self-Editing School: How to Self-Edit Faster and More Efficiently with JoEllen Nordstrom

Self-editing gets faster and more effective when writers stop treating revision as a straight line and instead audit every chapter and scene against a structured story checklist—especially the “38 story elements” organized around characters, setting, and plot. The payoff is practical: clearer story coherence, fewer wasted passes, and a stronger ability to spot what’s missing (or irrelevant) before grammar-level polishing begins.

Nordstrom frames editing as a spiral rather than a ladder. Writers move between structural work, beta feedback, copy edits, line edits, revisions, and then proofreading after formatting—often revisiting earlier decisions because story components are interwoven. That mindset matters because it prevents the common trap of “finishing” one layer only to discover later that the foundation doesn’t support the promise made to readers.

The core structural workflow starts with consistency and visibility. Writers should identify chapters and scene breaks (choosing a consistent method, such as traditional three asterisks or another option), then keep chapter and scene labeling uniform so both the writer and any editor can navigate the manuscript quickly. A key early deliverable is a blurb—a concise promise of what the story will deliver—used as a reference point to ensure scenes and chapters contribute to the overall story arc rather than drifting into appealing but off-mission material.

From there, writers count words per chapter and scene to check balance. Nordstrom emphasizes that the story arc typically relies on five key scenes, which should align with major turning points: the inciting incident (the problem appears), plot point one (a decision creates a point of no return), the middle (the sustained journey and engagement), plot point two (another point of no return where resolution is unavoidable), and the climax (the payoff for the adventure). The “form” isn’t a rigid template, but it sets parameters that have worked for generations.

The checklist then becomes a scene-by-scene evaluation tool. For characters, writers build a list of who appears in each scene, identify point-of-view characters, verify that the protagonist is present in key scenes, and assess whether each character’s screen time matches their narrative importance. Consistency in POV and voice is treated as reader comfort: abrupt shifts can disengage readers. Writers also track goals—both external (what the character wants) and internal (trauma, background, motivations)—and consider what happens if those goals fail, since failure is often where tension and stakes intensify.

For settings, the audit focuses on anchoring each scene with location, date, and time, then using sensory detail (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch) to make the environment emotionally legible. Weather, objects, and even the timing of events are treated as levers for mood and plot movement, not decorative filler.

For plot, the structural pass checks that each scene has a clear purpose, opens and closes in varied ways, and uses entry and exit hooks to keep readers moving forward. Advanced plot elements include conflict, revelations, backstory, flashbacks (contained within the same scene), actions and sequels, and the knowledge gained by readers as the mini-adventure unfolds.

Finally, Nordstrom distinguishes editing stages: structural editing targets story strength and organization; line editing targets flow and craft; copy editing targets grammar and mechanics; proofreading happens after formatting to catch sentence-level issues introduced by layout changes. When writers feel stuck, the recommended move is to bring in a professional—especially if structural problems keep resurfacing—so time is spent on the fixes that actually change the outcome.