I’m in the middle of editing. I seem to spend a great deal
of time worrying about the right tone, getting rid of my crutch words (very,
must, actually, glimpsed) and figuring out what’s missing in my story.
For me there are multiple layers of editing. I do get caught
up in line editing before it’s really necessary. I’ve been trying to figure out
if that’s avoidance of the bigger picture or if that’s just (crutch word) where
my head goes.
I’d like to start a discussion on how you edit. Mine goes
like this.
I write on the computer. I have friends who don’t. They use
pens and paper and then input their material onto the computer for transmission
to agents and editors. I get that. The feel of the pencil or pen in hand
creates a communication with the mind and the paper. I love to do that with
notes I keep. Yet, when it comes to really putting the prose on the paper, so
to speak, I need the computer.
But, it’s not done there. I have trouble correcting and
editing on the computer. I print out everything. I should donate to the
Preservation Society to replace the forests I have decimated with my need to
create hard copy.
I edit on paper. I edit in colors. Red for needed tension.
Blue for corrections of grammar or punctuation. Plain old pencil for comments
to the author. After the stack of paper looks tattered and slightly dog-eared,
I’m ready to go back to the computer and start the unpleasant task of inputting
my comments. Of course they end up changing yet again as I hit the keys.
A new print out follows. A new hard copy read, many times
out loud to my Golden Retrievers who listen with rapt attention. Rhythm,
cadence, pacing. I try and hear all of that. Sometimes I even get it right.
Then, the changes begin all over. Yesterday I realized I had
the same scene written in two tones, in the first quarter of the book and then
again much later. Over writing! And, over editing.
I am a huge believer in trying to get it right. There is
nothing worse than reading something with errors of detail, errors of grammar,
and errors of plotting. Did she really jump out of the window when she was
sitting across the room? Yup, I’ve done that before and thankfully caught it.
Having said that, maybe getting the writing on the page (or
screen) is really what we are about. Changing it and making it perfect is
absolutely important. Not to be compromised. Yet, as it has been said many
times, “It’s difficult to fix a blank page.”
Jump in. How do you edit? What is your process?
7 comments:
I write and edit on the computer. I also don't edit until I've finished the book except for the glaring errors I find as I scan the pages.
When I do the edits I'll use Track Changes so I can see what I put in, take out or rearrange.
I'm like Lindsay. I do it all on the computer. I do edits as I go. If it occurs to me, I stop and fix it because it could impact something later in the story. But this isn't the final edit. That takes me forever. I do try to read aloud. It makes such a difference. And I used comments to myself as I go for things I need to fix. If I'm down to the end of the edits, sometimes I'll used tracked changes so I can see what I've changed. But I usually don't until I'm in edits with my editor and they need to see what I've changed.
I should clarify, I use the comments feature so I can make notes to myself about things I need to remember or think about later.
Lindsay and Anita: Bully for you that you can do it all on the computer. As I said, I work between hard copy and computer. Somehow flipping the pages next to when I need to find something feels easier than scrolling. It's great we all have our own styles.
Others out there! How do you do it?
As you know I write the first draft with pen and paper. I stop to dictate each chapter as I write it. Then I edit a million times before I send it to my Cp who line edits for me.
When I write "The End" I have a pretty clean manuscript that needs very little editing. Like you I print a hard copy and take my red pen to it, basically making the verbs stronger, replacing comforts words, etc. Then it goes off to two beta readers.
After I input their suggestions, it goes to my agent who looks it over and then on to the editor.
So far (knock on wood) I have had to make very little changes for the editor. The edits usually take half a day. I think it's because I spend so much time editing as I'm writing. I know a lot of writers think you should just vomit out the words and fix it later, but honestly, I just can't do that.
Liz: Your work is wonderful. I spend a lot of time editing, but there always seems to be more needed. Maybe I should buy more pens and pads of paper!
First I vomit out :) about 90,000 words on the computer ... each day reading the previous days words before I start writing new.
While I'm writing, I use the 'sticky notes' function to jot things I want to deal with later - continuity questions etc
When finished the first draft, I print and read through with a highlighter in hand to just make a mark that means - something here needs my atention.
I go back to the computer to start working on the fixing part which includes using lots colored font (learned from lisening to Cherry Adair)
I color code each POV so I can scan through for balance.(this is easier if you then drop your 'view' to about 20% and then you can see several pages at once)
I color highlight sections that need something done or have me flumoxed (going back on a new day the problem seems to solve much easier)
Once all this is finished on the computer, I print a copy in black and white for another full read through AFTER. That is, after I haven't looked at it for at least a month. This read is with red pen in hand, and hopefully the result is close to ready to send out. Unfortunatly, my beta readers are family who love me so I don't often get the harsh reviews I may deserve :)
K.
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