It’s easy when you’re writing a novel, especially when you’re nearing the end, to not be able to see the forest for the trees.

That cliche is used time and time again because a novel is dense and can become unwieldy at times.

Every now and then, step away to reassess your work in progress.

Stop writing so you can reread your story. Think about the story map and the characters. Remember why you started writing it in the first place.

Tweak and revise. Don’t be afraid of deleting a whole page or even a whole chapter.

Connect the dots. Make sure plot points converge and make sense.

Study the characters and make sure they’re being as effective as you’d like them to be.

Think about the structure and the pace. Does it work for you? Will it work for a reader?

This is a step I don’t always take enough time to do–to get off the horse and stop the journey and reflect for a moment. Usually I’m so busy writing and meeting a deadline that I can’t do this as often as I’d like.

Get out of the shade of the trees and go stand up on a hill to look down at the forest. You’ll often be surprised at what you’ll see.