Editing

indianroads · Sep 15, 2017

Often editing seems a lot like combing the knots out of hair. My first versions are usually tangled – not in terms of major events, but more along the line of paragraph flow within the scene / chapter. That takes a while to correct, but it’s relatively simple.

Presently going through the fifth edit of my next book – the much-dreaded back to front syntax check.

There are a TON of books out there on what to look for and how to edit your work – and I really don’t think there’s a wrong way to do it. We all have our own unique process.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun for us to post things we look for in our own writing during the edit process.

Homophones: I tend to be phonic speller when typing, and often I let MS Word save me when I’m working quickly. Where this falls apart is when the word I use has a homophone – same sound, different spelling and meaning. I stumbled recently with ‘interment’ and ‘internment’, and ‘complement’ and ‘compliment’. When in doubt, I usually check the dictionary.

Other things I look for: ‘was’ vs ‘had been’, ‘as’ vs ‘while’.

Word over usage obviously. Adverbs – I try to limit their use. Try to use action rather than dialogue tags like ‘he said’.

Backstory core dumps.

Who wants to add to the list?

lizmonster · Sep 15, 2017

Contradictory colors
Bad architecture
Repeated breakfasts
~~Entire plotlines that end up working counter to the entire theme I'm trying to establish~~ no just kidding never happens to me hahahaha really

Maze Runner · Sep 15, 2017

Scenes that don't move the story or illuminate an important character. The unnecessary use of "That". Places where I've released tension when it should have been held. Opportunities to feed the story or inform character and motivations that I "just" missed--the overuse of the word "just".

Also, I two have the homophone problem, as I here the narrative in my head, and won sounds the same as the other.

Curlz · Sep 15, 2017

I don't think mechanical editing like this works well. You are just singling out things for the sake of some rule. Adverbs, repetitions, bookisms - it either works either doesn't. If it doesn't it gets edited out, if it does it stays.

lizmonster · Sep 15, 2017

Curlz said:
I don't think mechanical editing like this works well. You are just singling out things for the sake of some rule.

To be serious for a sec, I'm going to argue a little here. I love my adverbs and semicolons, but I'm aware that they're considered generally overused. When I'm doing a readthrough, I'll often see if the sentence "feels" better without the adverb, or broken into two sentences instead of semicoloned.

The rules aren't hard and fast, no. But they're fair warnings, I think, to only break them when you're sure. (Which isn't the same as a blanket "kill all adverbs," either.

)

AW Admin · Sep 15, 2017

First, editors edit, writers revise. Yes, I'm a purist.

Second, what works for one writer may or may not work for another (or it may work for one book but not another)—but that doesn't make it wrong or invalid.

It's often useful to know what works for others in case you want to try it; it might work for you and your book, it might not.

Also: Remember that dialog should reflect the way the characters talk. It may not be grammatical. It may be verbose; and yes, some of us do speak in semicolons and dashes and ellipses . . .

Old Hack · Sep 15, 2017

Remember to check that the big things--plot, structure, characterisation, etc--work before worrying about adverb usage and so on. Do a run-through checking those things out first. Otherwise you'll spend your time perfecting text that you might well end up having to cut, which is a waste of your time and effort.

indianroads · Sep 15, 2017

Old Hack said:
Remember to check that the big things--plot, structure, characterisation, etc--work before worrying about adverb usage and so on. Do a run-through checking those things out first. Otherwise you'll spend your time perfecting text that you might well end up having to cut, which is a waste of your time and effort.

Agreed. My first 4 run throughs were about making sure the plot was staying on course - that a character wasn't told something twice, or expected to know something without being told. Taking out duplication and too often repeated themes. Character dialogue should be unique to each - preferred words, phrasing, education, accent, cadence. The story has to be right before going back to worry about adverbs and action beats vs dialogue tags.

I'm in the midst of version 5, editing from the back to the front. For me, by doing this I catch missing or extra words that snuck in.

Maggie Maxwell · Sep 15, 2017

Often I'll write a scene, and then realize it's stronger, clearer, or just plain works better if I switch the person who says, does or notices the thing. If I have a scene that feels off, the first thing I do now is look for a potential situation that might work better if I just switch the actors around.

I also have a bad attachment to the words "back." Like, my last WIP had more cases of "back" than there were pages.

Devil Ledbetter · Sep 15, 2017

None of these are meant as "nevers." Just watch for them while editing.

Meet and greet scenes. Every character introduction should not be a literal "Hello, Bob this is Mary. And Mary, this is Bob," followed by handshakes and small talk.
Scenes that begin with waking up and/or end with drifting off to sleep.
Characters driving to and from scenes.
Repeated words and sounds. I put on that jackass Jack's jacket and got the car jack out of the trunk so I could jack the car up to change the tire which got jacked by some jacks my daughter Jackie left in the driveway near the jack-o-lanterns.
Describing bland actions that could be assumed, like walking through a doorway to enter a room, or turning a knob to open a door. Save turning door handles for your tense, drawn-out scenes.
Face-making. Naturally, characters will have facial reactions but not everything that happens or is said in the story requires a character to react with a smile, a frown, blushing, a smirk, or an eye roll. Really watch this or your story will read like a game of charades.
Eyes part II. Limit eyeball actions to what's absolutely necessary. If there's one thing it's easy to overdo, it's eyeball activities. These include looked, glanced, glimpsed, saw, noticed, glared, peered, and probably a bunch of others. They're generally either unneeded filters or unneeded facial reactions.
Tummy gymnastics, blushing, pulse rates and the like. A little internal reaction is great for close POVs, but too much will turn your character into a passive Nervous Nellie.
Body parts (tediously) doing things. The reader is going to picture your character doing the things you say she does without the specifics of exactly what her arms, hands or fingers were doing.
I keep character dialogue and action to a single paragraph, meaning I don't have "Bob says something" Mary does something. "Bob says something else" jumbled together in one paragraph because it makes it hard to tell who is speaking. Occasionally, you might have reason to keep them together in a single paragraph. If that happens, make sure it's crystal clear who is doing the speaking. There is absolutely no "rule" that says you have to do this, but it sure makes for easier reading.
On-the-nose dialogue.

Devil Ledbetter · Sep 15, 2017

Maggie Maxwell said:
I also have a bad attachment to the words "back." Like, my last WIP had more cases of "back" than there were pages.

That word plagues me. But then my POV character isn't the sort to say "returned." Such a struggle.

Editing

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

Maze Runner

Curlz

cutsie-pie

lizmonster

Possibly A Mermaid Queen

AW Admin

Old Hack

Such a nasty woman

indianroads

Wherever I go, there I am.

Maggie Maxwell

Making Einstein cry since 1994

Devil Ledbetter

Come on you stranger, you legend,

Devil Ledbetter

Come on you stranger, you legend,