Editing: Everyone is Different
When I first started blogging almost two years ago, I got a lot of advice thrown my way. Most of it was excellent. If not for the blogging community, there might have been a very poorly written and badly done self-published book from me. I'm grateful for how much I have learned from all of you.
But, I also realized that even though the tips were excellent and even though there were proven testaments to those tips being effective, not everything was exactly right for me and my journey.
Take editing for example. When I first heard someone say that you should let your book rest before editing, I agreed immediately. The English teacher that first got me writing taught me that a good nights rest on a paper made it that much better. Why would a book be any different?
I tried it with a couple of novels, but I struggled for two reasons.
1. All those things that I KNEW were wrong keep hitting me in the back of the head. It was hard to stop thinking about my book and giving it the rest it needed.
2. When I went back to my book I'd look over it and hate everything and want to start from scratch.
As I was writing my current WIP I was thinking about how nothing ever worked out for those two reasons. Then I remembered something. In High School, before I let those papers rest, I would do one quick edit just to make sure I got all of my thoughts across. That way I had no problem letting the paper lie as long as it needed.
Because of that remembrance I'm doing one quick edit on my book before I take my rest. I can't tell you how much peace of mind it's brought me. I'm sorting out all the details and I know when I go back for a second edit it will be all the better.
Has anyone else had the same doubts about a piece of writing advice? If so, please share!
But, I also realized that even though the tips were excellent and even though there were proven testaments to those tips being effective, not everything was exactly right for me and my journey.
Take editing for example. When I first heard someone say that you should let your book rest before editing, I agreed immediately. The English teacher that first got me writing taught me that a good nights rest on a paper made it that much better. Why would a book be any different?
I tried it with a couple of novels, but I struggled for two reasons.
1. All those things that I KNEW were wrong keep hitting me in the back of the head. It was hard to stop thinking about my book and giving it the rest it needed.
2. When I went back to my book I'd look over it and hate everything and want to start from scratch.
As I was writing my current WIP I was thinking about how nothing ever worked out for those two reasons. Then I remembered something. In High School, before I let those papers rest, I would do one quick edit just to make sure I got all of my thoughts across. That way I had no problem letting the paper lie as long as it needed.
Because of that remembrance I'm doing one quick edit on my book before I take my rest. I can't tell you how much peace of mind it's brought me. I'm sorting out all the details and I know when I go back for a second edit it will be all the better.
Has anyone else had the same doubts about a piece of writing advice? If so, please share!
Comments
By the way, I always look forward to reading your blog. You've done really well with it.
And do I get to read this work you promised me??? ;)
and to be clear, once I'm drafting, I ain't stoppin for nutten. So anytime I'm editing after the initial edit stage, it's while I'm drafting something else.
To each his own.
The one "rule" I really hate is the "show vs. tell" rule. Apparently that means something much different to me than it does to many other modern writers. I'd rather write in the style I'm used to than make my books even longer and sound like someone I'm not, just so I never directly tell the reader anything.