Well, I have some advice.
But let me explain how I got to it.
I'm currently working on an unfinished horror novel from 2006. I'm in the process of rewriting it and have recently printed out 20,000 words worth of the stuff. I read the printout to get the scope of it...But what I got instead was a huge whiff of its stinky-ness.
Plot holes, stupid coincidence of meanings behind descriptions in the paragraphs, sentence phrasing blah blah. You name it. It's a first draft, but it looks so hopeless.
Now the explanation.
I was able to get into a reading groove. As I latched onto a good section that read okay-all right-pretty cool stuff, I began to immediately change things in my mind that would instantly fit. If I had a pen, this would be like editing.
I found places where I could've added more to the scene, I found ways to re-write the organization of interaction, phrasing rhythms--basically all that good stuff rolled into one. But the key was to find a spot where you can sink into your own manuscript, just like a reader reading a book for the first time. Chuck out all writer preconceptions. Forget rules. Just read it and try to enjoy it. And then you'll become a fountain full of ideas. You'll find places where "ohh, a description of the stairs would be great here, referring to a murder that happened in chapter 4!"--"What the MC just said would be better behind the action he completed after how it was originally written, it makes a better flow." And so on, and so on.
I hope that kinda sparks a little bit of insight on the things you can see in your very own manuscript. If you read it, look at it like an art book, a painting if you will, you'll be able to go line by line and manipulate what you have into a craftier piece of writing. The two key words to this technique is: smooth flow. It is up to an individuals taste, and what they are familiar with. That will be the key to your originality. The best way to describe what I have written so far in this post, it is like naturally putting commas where you take a breath. Sure, I recently read that is a big no-no for a writer. But consider this alternative version. Take your eyes, and run through that line of writing. You should be able to see where things fit that doesn't stress your eyes as a reader. Just like looking at a painting. A sentence in the middle of a paragraph might actually make a smoother transition at the beginning of the paragraph. Thus fixing the entire negativity of how that paragraph originally read. Does that make any sense?
The flip side is that you'll notice way too much wrong, and that it will be a long time before it sizes up to an very exciting read thru. But when you get there, it should definitely be worth it.
I've been doing examples of this in my rough drafts and I think my writing has improved. It made it bold, and it made it stronger. Reinforcing the authority of the actual writing. However, this is all in my opinion. I've actually been doing smaller versions of this since I began writing seriously in 2006.
As of now, I haven't finished my own WIP that I started earlier this month, but I plan to finish the first draft before next summer. It will be my first novel length manuscript. Whether it is a trunk novel or not, I'll probably find out by 2010.
I hope this advice has given a bit more edge to your creativity.
Best of luck to you...and all.
EDIT: Oh an another thing, can't forget about including active voice and all the other writing goodies. What I outlined was just a way to jump start a lifeless reading of a manuscript. It's worked wonders for the enjoyment of my own work.
