For the rest of this week, I’m going to hit on the steps I take to edit my written work. I actually go through four run-throughs. After writing, you’re supposed to take a break (or at least, that’s what I’ve heard) to give yourself some distance from what you’ve just written. With my short stories, that’s been impossible. With my book… I’m still sitting on my hands over three months later.
I’ve found many many different ways and techniques to edit online. I’m not saying that how I do it is in any way correct… just the way I do it. So, without further ado, here’s how I hone my block down to a work of art:
Since I use art terms a lot (being somewhat of an artist), I see editing in the same way that an artist looks at a block of stone before turning it into a sculpture.
We’ve just finished writing our story/book/eight-volume adventure, right? We now have a big, huge block of stone sitting in front of us, with a sculpture buried inside. My first editing procedure is the chunky and messy process of breaking off chunks of the block and getting it closer to the shape it needs to be in before I can start using the fine tools. It’s time to remove those big chunks that have nothing to do with the final product. Whittle down the spikes and bits that just need that edge taken off.
In book form, this means reading through, front to back and get rid of the stuff that just doesn’t belong… that’s not even part of the story, or just doesn’t need to be there. Since I wrote the damn thing, I can sit there and think about the complete story all at once while I’m reading through… and ask, “Does this have anything at all to do with the main storyline?” If it ever jumps track and runs off on a tangent, I cut it. Hard, and without remorse. (I did say that we’re working on a COPY of the story, right? I usually make a copy and save it under [name of book] – Edit [1,2,3 or 4])
There may be times that a sentence jumps out at you that begs to be rewritten or changed a bit, I’ll go ahead and fix it, because it was noisy enough to grab my attention. I’m only looking at big picture stuff on the first go-round, though.
Once I’m done bashing the crap out of my work with a mallet, it’s time to break out the chisels…
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