Julie Lence's Blog - Posts Tagged "self-editing"
Self Editing
You've written your first draft and typed those two little words--The End. Congratulations! You should be overjoyed, proud and thinking of how to reward your efforts. You deserve it. After all, writing a novel is hard work. Now comes the next step, self editing.
Self editing doesn't have to be hard and painful. But, it should be done right and a couple of times before you send your manuscript to an agent or publisher. Before you begin the first round, may I suggest you set your manuscript aside for a week or two, give your mind a break from the story and tend to other matters. When you come back to the story, you'll have fresh eyes, renewed energy and a different goal; to make the story better.
Spelling, punctuation, margins and neatness are a must when editing. Agents and publishers frown upon sloppy work. But there's more to editing than just fixing those red and green lines on your computer screen. This is your time to go through your story and make it the best it can be.
With honest eyes, pay attention to the following:
Does your story make sense? Is it believable? Do your scenes/chapters flow easily from one to the other? Do they move the plot? Or are they merely space fillers? Is there a gap in the middle of the story? Is the ending rushed? Perhaps something is missing, or not explained thoroughly or maybe you've repeated something from chapter two in chapter eleven. Is your POV correct? Do your characters stay true to form? Are they doing things because you want them to? Or is there good reason for the things they do and the decisions they make? Have you paid attention to detail? Is your heroine a blonde in one chapter and a redhead in the next? Did your hero board a train at the end of chapter two and is now on a ship at the beginning of chapter three? Have you flavored your story with enough, or too much, terminology? And have you used the five senses?
Don't be afraid, or against, making changes. You might have to explain something in greater detail or delete something that is not essential to the story. If you're unsure, ask someone you trust to read what you've written and give you honest feedback. A critique partner is great for this, but I don't suggest asking mom. Chances are, she'll love anything you've written, no matter how good or bad.
Once you've completed your first round of editing, again set it aside for a week or two and then go back and repeat the process. After that, the decision is up to you as to whether or not your work is ready to send to an agent or publisher. If you feel you've done the best you can, that your story works and flows at a good pace and your characters are true to themselves, then send it in. If there is something very wrong, a good editor will point out what, where and why.
I will caution you on one thing, don't over-edit yourself. There is such a thing as editing too much and you can spend years polishing the story until you no longer recognize it. Trust your instincts and then go for it. You've got nothing to lose and so much to gain.
Good luck to you in your endeavors and remember, it took me yeras to get published. But if you have the drive and the perseverence, good things will happen for you, too.
Julie
Self editing doesn't have to be hard and painful. But, it should be done right and a couple of times before you send your manuscript to an agent or publisher. Before you begin the first round, may I suggest you set your manuscript aside for a week or two, give your mind a break from the story and tend to other matters. When you come back to the story, you'll have fresh eyes, renewed energy and a different goal; to make the story better.
Spelling, punctuation, margins and neatness are a must when editing. Agents and publishers frown upon sloppy work. But there's more to editing than just fixing those red and green lines on your computer screen. This is your time to go through your story and make it the best it can be.
With honest eyes, pay attention to the following:
Does your story make sense? Is it believable? Do your scenes/chapters flow easily from one to the other? Do they move the plot? Or are they merely space fillers? Is there a gap in the middle of the story? Is the ending rushed? Perhaps something is missing, or not explained thoroughly or maybe you've repeated something from chapter two in chapter eleven. Is your POV correct? Do your characters stay true to form? Are they doing things because you want them to? Or is there good reason for the things they do and the decisions they make? Have you paid attention to detail? Is your heroine a blonde in one chapter and a redhead in the next? Did your hero board a train at the end of chapter two and is now on a ship at the beginning of chapter three? Have you flavored your story with enough, or too much, terminology? And have you used the five senses?
Don't be afraid, or against, making changes. You might have to explain something in greater detail or delete something that is not essential to the story. If you're unsure, ask someone you trust to read what you've written and give you honest feedback. A critique partner is great for this, but I don't suggest asking mom. Chances are, she'll love anything you've written, no matter how good or bad.
Once you've completed your first round of editing, again set it aside for a week or two and then go back and repeat the process. After that, the decision is up to you as to whether or not your work is ready to send to an agent or publisher. If you feel you've done the best you can, that your story works and flows at a good pace and your characters are true to themselves, then send it in. If there is something very wrong, a good editor will point out what, where and why.
I will caution you on one thing, don't over-edit yourself. There is such a thing as editing too much and you can spend years polishing the story until you no longer recognize it. Trust your instincts and then go for it. You've got nothing to lose and so much to gain.
Good luck to you in your endeavors and remember, it took me yeras to get published. But if you have the drive and the perseverence, good things will happen for you, too.
Julie
