Two weeks back, I wrote a very basic “Revising Tips 101.” Well, as the final edits for Death Pulls the Strings come to a close, here’s a follow-up with a few more hints!
Whether you’re revising a draft before sending it out to an editor or beta readers, or just doing some editing on your own, here are a few extra lessons I’ve learned:
1. Be Realistic About Time
Let’s face it: while we know that actual writing takes time–after all, we have a whole National Novel Writing Month coming up!–editing tends to be, well, an afterthought. Depending on the kind of editing you’re doing, you could be in for a lot of stress if you’re running up against deadlines. I find that my first and most intensive editing, the “macro” editing stage, takes at least twice as long as the final “micro” or “round up all the errors spellcheck missed” stage. In fact, if your first draft had some holes in it (which is totally fine, by the way) you may find that going back and editing it takes longer than writing it out in the first place did. That’s because when you’re going back to fill in those holes, you have to make tough decisions that you avoided before! 😉
So, how do you know how much time it will take? You probably won’t until you’re doing it, unfortunately. Everyone has a different writing and editing pace, and every book is a little different. As you write more, you can start to notice patterns in what works best for you. But at the beginning, it’s best to give yourself plenty of wiggle room, just in case.
2. . . . And Schedule in Breaks!
This is a sort of Part B to Point #1 above, really. Don’t expect yourself to spend an entire day editing (unless you have unlocked the secret to continuous productivity, I suppose!). Speaking as someone who absolutely has expected that of herself, do yourself a favor and nip that pipe dream in the bud!
Mixed metaphors aside, haha: editing is its own special skill–a skill that takes effort. In Revising Tips 101, we talked about careful reading and priorities. Well, focusing on those things requires your brain to work, and it’s a slightly different kind of work than simply writing. You have to engage a critical muscle at the same time. Personally, I find editing to be a little like translating. As a college research assistant years ago, I worked on translating projects and boy, I had never felt that kind of brain-tired before! Editing requires a similar amount of thought-juggling and detailed focus, so be kind to yourself.
3. Search Engines Are Now Your Friend
There’s an idea out there that in order to be productive writers, we ought to/need to turn off all distractions. Some writing apps out there try to prevent you from opening new tabs, for example, or from leaving your writing screen. I get that, I really do, especially when you’re just trying to get a scene out. And after all, that’s partly what the “Comment” feature we talked about last time could be used for, right? If you run into something you need to look up, flag it and move on.
Well, now in the editing stage, it’s time to investigate all those flags! (I mean, maybe you were super organized and had all your research done before you began writing . . . but I’ve never managed to be that prescient, myself.) While I’m editing I usually have a “throwaway” tab open for random searches, last minute baby name suggestions, and the like. Yes, it is a bit of a distraction. But also, it’s helping you knock small things off your “Editing To-Do List.” And given how draining editing can sometimes be, why not take the easy wins where you can find them? 🙂
All Set?
You’ve had six tips in all, now go edit! . . . Well, that’s what I’d intended to say, haha. But given how easily these extra three came to me, I have a feeling there might be more tips to share in the future. For the moment, though, we’ll call it a day–and I hope your editing goes smoothly!
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