 Drama: August 04, 2021 Issue [#10888] |
This week: Self-Editing Your Writing Edited by: Lilli  
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Some thoughts on editing and revising:
"Writing without revising is the literary equivalent of waltzing gaily out of the house in your underwear."
~ Patricia Fuller
"The first draft is black and white. Editing gives the story color."
~ Emma Hill
"Editing fiction is like using your fingers to untangle the hair of someone you love."
~ Stephanie Roberts
"Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler's heart, kill your darlings."
~ Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft |
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I know, I know—it feels almost impossible to edit your own writing. You are so entrenched in your message that is it hard to pinpoint what works and what should fall victim to the delete button. Hopefully, these tips will help you out!
 Structure the task.
Take a look at the largest elements (like plot structure) first. Once you are satisfied with those, focus on the details of language (grammar, style, and punctuation).
Take a break!
After finishing a draft, put it aside for a day, week, or longer. However long you need to return to it edit with fresh eyes.
Use free online tools.
There are several available online which can examine sentence difficulty, alert you to grammar issues, punctuation problems, etc.
Read aloud.
Read your writing aloud, to yourself. Hearing the rhythm of the words will help you edit for flow. Not only that, your ears can help pick up errors that your eyes may miss.
Check tense.
Errors of tense are common amongst new writers. Steering the Craft by Ursula le Guin has a thorough and concise overview of tense types.
Mix it up.
Reading a text over and over again may make your eyes used to an error. Try reading backward, from the last word to the first, to pick up any hard-to-spot errors.
Be ruthless.
Don't be afraid to cut parts that aren't working and just start fresh.
Change the view.
Try changing the font and/or font size for editing purposes. Sounds nutty but the altered appearance may help you see the text anew. |
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