Because Dawn of the Epoch was my first book, I had to do a lot of editing and revising. I am actually still revising. In the future, I believe that my writing will require less fixing before it is acceptable. Don’t be like me. Try to write it right the first time. Always keep these two things in mind: (1) Don’t be periphrastic. If you can say something in one word, don’t use two. (2) Don’t waste words. If you can say something in one simple sentence, then don’t say it in a complex, multi-part sentence.
Also, please use subjects and predicates in that order. First, the subject, and then the predicate. So, instead of saying, “The sorcerer was stabbed by the knight.” Say, “The knight stabbed the sorcerer.” The knight is the one doing something so he should come first in the sentence. Always try to make your sentences follow the basic, standard structure: subject-verb-object. These are the easiest sentences to read. Don’t do it like a zealot though. Sometimes, things just don’t sound right when you do it the standard way. If it makes the sentence sound weird, then don’t force it.
Replace passive verbs with active verbs to the greatest extent possible. If you can possibly use an active verb like "made, demonstrated, or ran" instead of a passive verb like "is, was, or be" then do so.
Don’t be afraid to delete things. Have a separate file called “storage” for it. You are not a robot. You are a human being. You are emotionally attached to your labor. So, don’t ever delete anything permanently, even if you later realize that a whole chapter that you wrote six months ago is garbage. Just cut it and paste it into your “storage” file. Still, you may be so emotionally dependent on your writing that you cannot even bring yourself to move it into the storage bin. Try to remind yourself, “no pain, no gain.” You have to cut the parts of the novel that are wrong for the story. They might be wrong if they are digressive, if the characters do things that are not in line with their personalities, if they made the story confusing, if you have an epiphany and it renders an old chapter moot, etcetera. As you make your revisions, you will know when you need to make cuts. You will have your reasons. Be honest with yourself.
