Today’s post is a question for you:
What strategies
do you use
to line (or copy) edit
your own writing?
See you in the comments.
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I write as much as I can, without worrying about how it fits, and then step away. I come back and re-read, go away and think about it, and then finally come back to make changes. Then I do it all over again. Still working on my very first real book project, so I’ll keep you posted on how this process works for me (or evolves, whichever happens….)
My editing process works like this:
There, done. Read through. This sucks AND has a huge plot hole and what the hell is the mythology, defining moment, climax? (any one or all of those). Holy crap I have to write the whole thing over, start at the beginning, completely re-work it.
Then I calm down. And then I know I have a lot of work and if I want to be published I better get to it. Plus Rachel Aaron helps — she has a how she edits blog up now.
Editing seems to be a popular topic today! I go line to line, reword, revise, take out, reword, and add more, Seems like a lot of RE’s But my biggest problem lately is the procrastination to sit down and do it!
Read out loud. This helps eliminate awkward phrasing. I read it over and over. First draft is always in long hand. It’s more of a free write, making sure to get all details and ideas. Then, I type. Organize paragraphs in a logical order and similar thoughts. Paragraphs should flow like water. If not, add more transitions. Read over an over some more.
Reading out loud always helps me. It’s so much easier to catch mistakes and find sentences that don’t flow.
I also let my writing sit (walk away) and let the words meld like ingredients in a recipe. If I have troubling phrases or ideas that I can’t get worked in right, sometimes they work themselves out in my head while I’m doing other things like washing dishes or cooking.
I’m with you on the dishes part Dasha. It is a great way to get dialogue going in your head.
I edit in layers. One layer is a surface level thing where I’m looking for quick inconsistencies. Another layer is the big picture stuff, where characters need to be cut who aren’t crucial to the plot. Another layer is wordsmithing, where I try to get out of my word rut and replace the crutch words I used constantly (words like “look,” “suddenly”).