You can find a multitude of articles about the nuts and bolts of revising and editing. I want to give you some ideas that will improve your fiction writing as a whole, as a work of art & entertainment.
Hierarchy of editing methods: Best: Read your page aloud on paper (you can hear dialogue & see the page). 2nd Best: Read aloud off computer screen (hear dialogue). 3rd Best: Read silently on paper (see the page). Last choice: Read it on a computer screen (Quicker, but you get what you pay for).
Make your writing active: This not only includes the action, but the narrative, dialogue, & the POV character’s thoughts. The usual advice is: Show, don’t tell. I suggest making the reader feel a part of the story. Begin & end your story in an active mode. Descriptions? Slip them in as you tell the story so the reader isn’t aware that you have done so.
POV: The usual discussion is the discussion about the merits of First Person versus Third Person. I suggest that you go deeper, either POV will work. Go as deep as you can into the character’s mind, feelings, & body until the reader feels that they are the character. First Person is more personal, but Third Person is more flexible, allowing you to approach the conflict from multiple POV’s & display different facets of the story.
Chapters: I consider chapters to be a chain, each link securely fastened to the preceding & following links. End the chapter with a teaser or a cliffhanger so the reader turns to the next chapter. Begin that chapter with a hook. This applies to all types of fiction: Character-driven, plot-driven, & even literary.
Tension: Ramp up the tension, make the main character miserable goes the advice. I agree to a certain point. Find the Dark Moment, the point where the main character gives up, all is lost. Make that moment so dark the reader can’t stand it. The tension goes to zero, similar to when a rollercoaster car reaches the summit & seems to quit moving before plunging to the bottom. Boom!
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