Let\u2019s face it. First drafts are messy and choppy. Their only merit is one of being finished. I am a NanoWrimo writer. That means I have written four first drafts in literally four weeks each. Here are some tips that I have learnt while editing your own work:<\/p>\n
1. If writing first draft is fast in NanoWrimo, editing is slow<\/strong><\/em> 2. Putting away the first draft is as important as editing<\/strong><\/em> Have you noticed that it is easier to see flaws in another\u2019s writing than your own? If so, bring the distance that exists when critiquing another\u2019s work to your own by putting it away for a period of time.<\/p>\n 3. Read a manuscript completely before making an editing plan<\/strong><\/em> So, read through before coming up with a plan. But when you read, highlight the areas you want to focus on. When you read, challenge yourself on the value each section adds to the book.<\/p>\n 4. Make plot and flow revisions first <\/strong><\/em> Few points to look for as a detached reader of your own work are:<\/p>\n a. Does the writing invoke emotions in you such as fear, sadness, joy, worry? 5. Put the manuscript away in between editing<\/strong><\/em> When spending time away from your book, read. Read other books. Read books on improving your writing. I recommend reading \u201cStructuring your novel\u201d by K.M. Weiland and \u201cDon\u2019t Murder Your Mystery\u201d by Chris Roerden.<\/p>\n 6. Work on characters and plot via exercises<\/strong><\/em> a. Deepen characters \/ deepen conflict \/ deepen value<\/em> There are several exercises I recommend furthering these editing concerns:<\/p>\n a. People watch<\/em> \u2013 spend an hour at a busy location like a caf\u00e9 or the city park or the train station and observe the dialect of people, their attire and mannerisms. See if that inspires your writing. <\/p>\n 7. Dialogue editing<\/strong> <\/em> 8. Look out for overly-used words as well as vague words<\/strong><\/em> a. Was \/ were \/ are <\/p>\n Also, check if there are some negatives that can turn into positives as positives tend to read better.<\/p>\n 9. Edit on different platforms<\/strong><\/em> Try reading your manuscript on a different device like a phone, a tablet, a big monitor screen. Changing environment is notorious for highlighting the mistakes (that word processor skips.) Print out the manuscript and edit with a red pen. Have your word editor read out the manuscript for you. Microsoft Word has a read aloud feature.<\/p>\n 10. Lastly, edit from last chapter to first.<\/strong><\/em> <\/p>\n Writing is hard work. Let yourself be your first critique but be careful while editing if you tend to be too harsh on yourself. When making notes on what to edit, also write down what you like in the writing that you wish not to change.<\/p>\n Happy editing and wish you the world\u2019s best luck for all the steps that follow from editing to seeing your book on the bookshelf of a major retailer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let\u2019s face it. First drafts are messy and choppy. Their only merit is one of being finished. I am a NanoWrimo writer. That means I have written four first drafts in literally four weeks each. Here are some tips that I have learnt while editing your own work: 1. If writing first draft is fast […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":731,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[127,77,76],"tags":[128,78,26],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/notebook-3297317_1920.jpg?fit=1920%2C1370&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kaFb-bM","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/730"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=730"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/730\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":736,"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/730\/revisions\/736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/731"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=730"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=730"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bookofdreams.us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=730"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nDifferent part of your brain is utilized when on auto pilot and when focusing and thinking slow. Editing is a slow process, it requires focus on detail like drawing a sketch. Edit slow.<\/p>\n
\nTo be a true change agent (of your own manuscript,) it is important to detach emotion. It is a key attribute of a great feedback whether critiquing others\u2019 work or your own. And, why would you not put in your best frame of mind for yourself? The detachment needs time after you have spent weeks with the characters, loving and hating them all along. Detachment fosters fresh perspective.<\/p>\n
\nFirst revisions involve cutting unnecessary scenes or moving scenes around. In order to do so, it is important to get a holistic view of the big picture.<\/p>\n
\nPlot revisions are first because these involve massive chopping. Why edit a section that could be chopped? Plot revisions are first because it also involves moving scenes around, heightening conflict, adding and removing from the story in general. Once the plot is in place, you can focus on the little edits.<\/p>\n
\nb. Do you evoke all the five senses of smell, sight, touch, sound or taste?
\nc. Is there a common thread of a goal through all the sections in your writing? A written work must have a message. Never lose sight of the message.
\nd. Are there segments that make you want to put the book down and not read on?<\/p>\n
\nAttachment is a sneaky emotion. It comes unannounced and settles unnoticed. Even during editing, attachment to characters, lines, etc. happens. So, space out editing by constant doses of detachment. Detachment fosters neutral opinion.<\/p>\n
\nPerform specific editing to:<\/p>\n
\nb. Ground settings and time <\/em>
\nc. Heighten conflicts \/ Escalate stakes<\/em>
\nd. Add tension<\/em>
\ne. Planting questions \/ hooks to add mystery<\/em><\/p>\n
\nb. Research<\/em> timelines and facts in your book.
\nc. Perform activities<\/em> prescribed by experts such as activities from Donald Maass\u2019s \u201cThe Breakout Novelist.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nDo a special round of editing for dialogues. Keep your characters honest to their own voice through the course of your book. Make sure your dialogues are not circular but believable. Make sure to add action beats to your dialogues and sprinkle it with adequate emotion.<\/p>\n
\nNow, you are at a stage where your plot has been hammered, characters have been fleshed out, and the end is on the horizon. Previous rounds of editing would have given you an idea on words you tend to overuse. Hopefully, they are highlighted at this point. Do a word count on them and see if those can be mixed up. Other commonly used words to edit are:<\/p>\n
\nb. That \/ this
\nc. Something \/ thing
\nd. Stuff
\ne. Adverbs such as *ly (very, really, slowly\u2026)
\nf. Then (Lines of your book are happening in chronological order. \u201cThen\u201d should be sparsely used to emphasize.)
\ng. Seemed
\nh. Felt<\/p>\n
\nGrammar and line level edits have a way of disappearing. There are tricks to catch them in the flow of reading.<\/p>\n
\nTies into the previous point, is one of the tricks to catching more errors in your own writing. Want to force detachment to your story? Edit last chapter first and make your way in. This will prevent you from getting swept into your story where you start to read fast to know what happens next versus reading slow and hard.<\/p>\n