Plot: When in doubt, act it out!

After I finish the first draft, I always take and print out my pages. I like the look of 400 pages -- what an accomplishment! I put my manuscript away for a few weeks before starting my first edit. I have the desire to start immediately but quash it. I occupy my time dreaming up my next plot or work on my blog.

When I start to edit, I have a process. One thing I like to do is take each scene, or for some of you, each chapter, and act out the characters in turn.

1) I highlight each character's actions and their lines in a different color
2) I visualize the scene in my head (what the room or area looks like)
3) I visualize what my character is wearing and holding or doing
4) Then, I direct myself as each character-- moving around and saying each line.

Why? Why is this sometimes a good idea?

When reading through your work, sometimes it's easy to miss errors. Perhaps a minor character was standing in a doorway and  then he's in the attic. Perhaps he's wearing a red jumper and then he pulls a mobile from his jacket pocket. Was he wearing a jacket?

I'm not saying this works every time but you can catch many inconsistencies. When in doubt, act it out!