“Read through the checklist, put it in your mind, and let it just float there. Don't be so restrictive about it. You can always revisit it whenever you want.” - Beth Barany

In this episode of How To Write The Future, Beth Barany walks you through the first step of revision: the first read-through, with no editing.

You’ll learn how to use the Edit Your Novel Checklist as a simple guide for reading your draft like a reader, so you can spot what’s working, what’s unclear, and what you want to revise next.

Titled “Edit Your Novel Checklist: First Read, No Edits,” this episode helps you choose the best way to read your manuscript, decide how much distance you need from the draft, and capture observations without getting pulled into fixing sentences too soon.

Be sure to get your Edit Your Novel Checklist here: https://bethbarany.com/eyncklst.

ABOUT BETH BARANY

Beth Barany is an award-winning fantasy and science fiction novelist and creativity coach for writers. They help novelists write, revise, and publish stories that matter—blending practical craft guidance with a big-picture commitment to imagination, meaning, and possibility.

SHOW PRODUCTION BY Beth Barany
SHOW CO-PRODUCTION + NOTES by Kerry-Ann McDade
EDITORIAL SUPPORT by Iman Llompart

c. 2026 BETH BARANY

Questions? Comments? Send us a text!

Support the show

---

♦︎ JOIN THE MEMBERSHIP: For fiction writers! You've finished your first draft! Congrats! Now what?

Join the Edit the Future: Sci‑Fi/Fantasy Revision Lab. Get premium weekly lessons and a monthly Q&A on Zoom. Subscribe: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2012061/subscribe

♥︎ FREE: Sign up here for the Edit Your Novel Checklist

Helps writers revise faster with less overwhelm by focusing first on diagnosis, not fixing.

Get yours at http://edityournovelchecklist.com.

♡ SHOP: Sci‑Fi & Fantasy 24 Writing Prompts: https://ko-fi.com/s/4ac9160a74

❤️ Want to be interviewed on the podcast? => Email us!

CONNECT WITH BETH

via email
via LinkedIn

CREDITS

EDITED WITH DESCRIPT (Affiliate link)
MUSIC: Uppbeat.io
DISTRIBUTED BY BUZZSPROUT: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1994465