So you have completed the first draft of your book and are ready to allow a person read it. This person must have a clear understanding of storyline and plot development. Their feedback must be non-biased and constructive. Once you have received the feedback from them, the first thing you should do is read through the feedback, making notes on the corrections and advice you’ve been given, and leave the manuscript for a few days. The feedback will run around in your mind and this will give you time to have a clear course of action on how you are going to tackle the rewrite of your book. In composing the primary draft of your book, you have most likely got the essential story down. It is now time to really work on the character arc and the connection between each character.

Here are a few activities which will help you in the process of rewriting and ironing out all the fundamental flaws.

 The Character Arc - The first thing you need to do is make some small cards the size of a postcard. You will need one for each chapter. Starting with your protagonist, make brief notes about everything that happens to them and what effect the action has on them. You may notice that many scenes containing your main character have situations which don’t seem to affect them at all. This is where the rewrite will need to take place. You need to rethink the character's reaction and insert a change in the character's reaction or add an action which shows growth or a marked change in their personality. Repeat this process with every character.

The Relationship Arc - The next course of action is very similar to the first. However, instead, you’ll want to pay very close attention to the growth of the relationship between the protagonist and the antagonist. Attach the postcards onto a noticeboard and study the growing relationship between them. Does the relationship have movement in every scene? Is this movement non-existent in some scenes and then too much in others? If so you will need to spread the action around a little. You need the growth to continually move forward at a consistent pace; if the growth is rushed then the story will become too stereotypical.

You should now have both your arcs well planned out and have a clear direction on the alterations you need to make.Please note that as the relationship grows between the main characters, if an action happens that has a negative effect on one character then this should have a negative effect on their relationships with the other characters too. By strengthening the character and relationship arcs, you help develop your characters into realistic three-dimensional people that would exist in a real world, rather than cardboard cut-outs who are merely cliches. Once you’ve rewritten your script, taking into account the link between the character arc and relationship arc, then you are ready to return your manuscript  back to your trusted reader so they can give you any further feedback.