How to edit the big-picture elements of a romance series

One of the most important aspects is self-editing the big-picture elements of your romance series. After finishing writing all the books, you need to self-edit the big-picture elements that cover the whole series to make sure you have written a compelling romance story with engaging characters.

Read your series and take notes
Story structure
Characters
Theme
Setting and worldbuilding
Romance genre conventions
Next steps

Read your series and take notes
Read your entire romance series from start to finish. While reading, take notes in the margins of the manuscript documents and/or in a separate notebook about the big-picture elements you want to revise, such as the story structure, main characters, theme, setting and romance genre conventions. 

If it’s helpful, create a series outline in an Excel spreadsheet to write down your notes and ideas in a more organised way. Your series outline can include the chapter number, pov character, timeline, location, on-scene characters, and any other notes or thoughts about a particular scene. Your series outline can be as detailed as you want. 

You can also create or update your series bible to include updated information about your characters and create or update your master timeline to include updated information about the story’s events, and maintain consistency throughout the series.

Story structure
One of the most important elements that you need to self-edit is the story structure of your romance series. Identify the major romance beats of your series and the major romance beats for each book of the series.

If you have trouble identifying the major romance beats for the whole series or individual books, then you need to revise your series to make your romance beats clearer and stronger.

Look at your notes and write down which scenes you need to revise to make your romance story structure clearer, stronger and more compelling to the readers. If you want to learn more information, read how to outline the major plot points of your romance story.

Also, make sure that your major romance beats move the plot forward and that your story includes only the necessary plot events.

A lot of beginner writers make the mistake of including unnecessary plot events in the first book of their series to force important plot events in later books of the series.

Look at your notes and/or manuscript and note down which scenes you need to revise to include only the necessary plot events that move the plot forward.

Characters
Another important element of your romance series that you need to self-edit is your main characters. Make sure that your main characters have a clear and compelling goal, believable motivation, and (internal and external) conflict throughout the series and that their actions are driven by their GMC (goal, motivation, conflict).

Another person (romance interest or antagonist) who has an equal and opposite goal creates the central conflict of the story, prevents the main character from easily achieving their goal, and creates tension that moves the plot forward. 

When editing your series, note down what (internal conflict) or who (external conflict) is preventing the main character from achieving their goal (e.g what or who is preventing the main couple from being together?).

Look at your notes and determine which scenes need to be revised for a clearer GMC and a stronger central conflict.

Theme
Another important element of your romance series that you need to self-edit is the theme. Generally, the theme for romance stories is that love wins over all obstacles. Romance readers expect that the main characters overcome all their flaws (internal conflict) and obstacles (external conflict)  thrown at them throughout the series and live happily together.

Do the main characters overcome the internal and external challenges, emotionally change throughout the series (learn the theme by the end of the story) and live happily together? Look at your notes and revise your series accordingly. 

Setting and worldbuilding
Another important element of your romance series that you need to self-edit is the setting and the worldbuilding. Look at your notes and make sure that the setting of your story is clear, fleshed out, believable, and consistent throughout the series.

Make sure that the setting is linked to the story action and the main characters. Show how the pov character notices, experiences, or describes a particular setting and what information it reveals about their personality. 

Look at your notes and revise any scenes with inconsistencies regarding the setting and worldbuilding of your series. 

Also, a common mistake writers make regarding setting is to spend too much page time describing unnecessary or irrelevant information, such as the politics and society of the world or specific locations (info dumping).

Note down the scenes where info-dumping happens and revise them to include only the most relevant and important information in each scene.

Romance genre conventions
Another important element that you need to self-edit is the romance genre conventions. To make sure you are writing a romance series, the development of the romance relationship between the main characters needs to be at the centre of your story, and the story needs to have a happy ending where the main couple ends up together. If your series doesn’t follow these 2 romance rules, then you need to revise your romance series accordingly to include them.

Also, make sure that the romance tropes used in the romance series are combined in fresh and unexpected ways to create an engaging story and contribute to the emotional and physical intimacy of the main characters. 

The physical attraction between the main characters needs to be apparent throughout the story, and the intimacy scenes need to serve the development of their romantic relationship and move the plot forward.

Also, a common mistake writers make regarding genre conventions is the lack of romantic tension and pacing. It usually happens because the main characters fall in love too quickly without sufficient emotional development, or the romantic tension is dragged out by subplots that overshadow the central story.

Look at your notes to determine if the development of the romantic relationship progresses too quickly or too slowly and revise accordingly.

Next steps
After you have self-edited the big-picture elements of your romance series, such as the romance story structure, characters, theme, setting, and romance genre conventions, it’s time to get feedback from a professional editor.

Give your manuscript to a reliable and supportive beta reader and/or developmental editor to provide thoughtful and honest feedback about the big-picture elements of your series. If you want to learn more information, read how to find the right editor for your story.

Additional resources
How to self-edit the big-picture elements of your romance story
How to plan and write a romance series part 1
How to edit the most common mistakes in a romance series
How to avoid editing scams and find a trusted editor

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About the author

​​Maria Georgiou is a reliable and supportive developmental editor and beta reader for romance authors. She specialises in editing contemporary romance, YA romance, romantic comedy, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, fantasy romance and romantasy stories. She is a member of the EFA, ClubEdFreelancers and ALLi.
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