LET THE EDITING BEGIN
A funny thing happened after I finished the first draft of my first novel: colleagues told me I had to edit it and that editing was hard. Hmmm. I suppose anything can be made tough if you’re told often enough, but how about surprising everyone and making that alleged dreaded thing a zesty thought provoking experience instead?
Editing for me is not something that’s endured, but rather something that’s explored with curiosity backed by a genuine desire to learn more. Who are these characters and what’s all the fuss about anyway? After months of workshopping with the critique group, it is very tempting to tuck in and make changes right away. I resist the temptation. The notes I receive—good and bad—are given because I ask for them, and it’s only after a proscribed period of time that they become truly useful. I like to let notes percolate in a corner for a while before looking at them. I need distance to achieve clarity. It is only after a ‘cooling off’ period where the difference between what I thought was “great” and what the reviewer thought was “not so much” can be made sense of and I’m able to take the feedback for what it is: a resource rich tool that will 9 times out of 10 make my manuscript better.
Focus, like the cooling off period, is critical in editing. I never work on an existing manuscript alongside a bustling, sparkling new work in progress. Multitasking will turn edits into a mean old stepsister faster than you can say “ARGH!!!!!” and it will cost your princess plenty. I take the summer months to work on edits and only edits. Submitting the polished gem for publication is the reward at the end as well as the sparkling WIP waiting for attention at the finish line.
Organization is also key. We all have different methods that assist us along the way. Charts, diagrams, editing apps, Post It notes all over the kitchen cupboards all have merit. What I’ve embraced—what I’ll never let go of—is the practice of summarizing each chapter in a paragraph or two as I complete them. This does two things: 1) provides a seemingly instant synopsis at the end of round 1 that—yes—will need editing; and, 2) a faster way of getting to the crux of what the book is about so that it can be edited without the stress of a shaky ‘what happened next?’
So sweat not the process, dear writer. You have accomplished a great thing shepherding an idea onto a collection of pages in preparation for a waiting world. Editing will make this incredible accomplishment even more incredible as long as you give it the proper attention. You deserve it and so does your work.
Editing for me is not something that’s endured, but rather something that’s explored with curiosity backed by a genuine desire to learn more. Who are these characters and what’s all the fuss about anyway? After months of workshopping with the critique group, it is very tempting to tuck in and make changes right away. I resist the temptation. The notes I receive—good and bad—are given because I ask for them, and it’s only after a proscribed period of time that they become truly useful. I like to let notes percolate in a corner for a while before looking at them. I need distance to achieve clarity. It is only after a ‘cooling off’ period where the difference between what I thought was “great” and what the reviewer thought was “not so much” can be made sense of and I’m able to take the feedback for what it is: a resource rich tool that will 9 times out of 10 make my manuscript better.
Focus, like the cooling off period, is critical in editing. I never work on an existing manuscript alongside a bustling, sparkling new work in progress. Multitasking will turn edits into a mean old stepsister faster than you can say “ARGH!!!!!” and it will cost your princess plenty. I take the summer months to work on edits and only edits. Submitting the polished gem for publication is the reward at the end as well as the sparkling WIP waiting for attention at the finish line.
Organization is also key. We all have different methods that assist us along the way. Charts, diagrams, editing apps, Post It notes all over the kitchen cupboards all have merit. What I’ve embraced—what I’ll never let go of—is the practice of summarizing each chapter in a paragraph or two as I complete them. This does two things: 1) provides a seemingly instant synopsis at the end of round 1 that—yes—will need editing; and, 2) a faster way of getting to the crux of what the book is about so that it can be edited without the stress of a shaky ‘what happened next?’
So sweat not the process, dear writer. You have accomplished a great thing shepherding an idea onto a collection of pages in preparation for a waiting world. Editing will make this incredible accomplishment even more incredible as long as you give it the proper attention. You deserve it and so does your work.
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