A big challenge when editing is story flow. That is, avoiding lumps and bumps which stop the reader. It’s vital to avoid bumps on a micro level, when the reader has a “huh?” moment because he can’t figure out what you meant by a sentence, or on a macro level, when the reader stops reading because he’s bored.
Editing fiction: when should you edit?
NaNoWriMo is coming up again in November. One author said she still hadn’t edited her previous NaNoWriMo novel.
Try to do some minor editing while you’re writing; at the end of a chapter. Major editing happens once you’ve completed your first draft.
Here’s a minor editing example: let’s say that you’ve decided to call your main character Jasper, rather than Todd. You do a search and replace, and it’s done.