Patricia Hamill's Blog: I read too much! - Posts Tagged "editing"
Ah the joys of editing...
Today I hit the 70% complete mark for editing my third novel, a story about surviving the end of the world (via zombies) told through a young woman’s diary entries. So, I thought I'd take a break from editing to write about editing. Say that fast three times in a row.
Yes, I edit my own stories. And, yes, it is challenging to do that. Here's why.
First of all, I know what's coming. That can be a good thing when you’re writing a story but not always so good when you’re trying to edit one, because your mind will subconsciously fill in the blanks, leaving holes in your story that will trip up your readers. That's why I usually put my work aside for at least a few weeks before I attempt to edit it.
Second, I tend to think the way that I write, leaving eerily similar phrases with sometimes nearly identical word choices sprinkled throughout my stories, like little landmines waiting to annoy my readers. And guess what, I sometimes find myself unintentionally updating something that was originally unique into one of these landmines. Yikes. The only way I’ve found to counteract this is to edit with a pencil before making changes to my document. This ensures I’ll look at each passage at least twice before I make a final call on how something’s worded.
Third, you can do a lot of damage to your work if you’re tired or if you’ve been at it too long. I only work on edits and rewrites when I’m fresh. As soon as my eyes cross (and preferably before then) I put away the paper and pencil and do something else.
Fourth, the enemy of any self-editor is impatience. Editing is tedious work, time-consuming and at times mind-numbing. At times, I find myself saying, ‘eh, that’s good enough,’ but usually, that’s just before my eyes start crossing. Other times, I’ll switch to prompts like ‘look at this again’, ‘rewrite’ or the vague circled phrase. And in some cases, those last few pages or passages will be suspiciously bereft of comments and corrections. Whenever I see any of these signs, I make a point to go over those sections again with a fresh eye.
Finally, it’s easy to forget that your writing must not only be correct, but also entertaining. I find it incredibly important to read my stories from beginning to end in the same way my readers will: on an e-reader and as a paperback. After all, if my stories can’t keep my attention, they certainly won’t capture anyone else’s.
On that note, I’m off to work on my other project, a loom knitted sock that’s turning into a loom knitted boot. Ah well, maybe I’ll turn it into a Christmas stocking.
Yes, I edit my own stories. And, yes, it is challenging to do that. Here's why.
First of all, I know what's coming. That can be a good thing when you’re writing a story but not always so good when you’re trying to edit one, because your mind will subconsciously fill in the blanks, leaving holes in your story that will trip up your readers. That's why I usually put my work aside for at least a few weeks before I attempt to edit it.
Second, I tend to think the way that I write, leaving eerily similar phrases with sometimes nearly identical word choices sprinkled throughout my stories, like little landmines waiting to annoy my readers. And guess what, I sometimes find myself unintentionally updating something that was originally unique into one of these landmines. Yikes. The only way I’ve found to counteract this is to edit with a pencil before making changes to my document. This ensures I’ll look at each passage at least twice before I make a final call on how something’s worded.
Third, you can do a lot of damage to your work if you’re tired or if you’ve been at it too long. I only work on edits and rewrites when I’m fresh. As soon as my eyes cross (and preferably before then) I put away the paper and pencil and do something else.
Fourth, the enemy of any self-editor is impatience. Editing is tedious work, time-consuming and at times mind-numbing. At times, I find myself saying, ‘eh, that’s good enough,’ but usually, that’s just before my eyes start crossing. Other times, I’ll switch to prompts like ‘look at this again’, ‘rewrite’ or the vague circled phrase. And in some cases, those last few pages or passages will be suspiciously bereft of comments and corrections. Whenever I see any of these signs, I make a point to go over those sections again with a fresh eye.
Finally, it’s easy to forget that your writing must not only be correct, but also entertaining. I find it incredibly important to read my stories from beginning to end in the same way my readers will: on an e-reader and as a paperback. After all, if my stories can’t keep my attention, they certainly won’t capture anyone else’s.
On that note, I’m off to work on my other project, a loom knitted sock that’s turning into a loom knitted boot. Ah well, maybe I’ll turn it into a Christmas stocking.
Are you the victim of human auto-correct?
Do you find yourself sending an email only to notice glaring errors only moments later? Do you hit publish or post, only to find comments about your grammar, or lack thereof, sprinkled throughout subsequent comments and reviews? If so, you may be the victim of human auto-correct.
The human brain is a wonderful thing. It helps us make sense of a chaotic world and helps us react accordingly; but, similar to the auto-correct on your phone, the brain also subconsciously hides, or auto-corrects, inconsistencies, errors and omissions we encounter in the written word. A duplicate word becomes invisible, a misspelling is overlooked, and missing words are filled in.
Surely, you've seen blurbs where almost every word is a jumble of letters, but you were able to read the message anyway. Take the following example.
The qicuk bworn fox jmups oevr the lzay dgos.
You probably read this with no problems. In fact, so long as the first and last letter of a word is in place, most people's minds will substitute the correct word, especially if there's context to go with it.
This is fine for someone who's reading for fun, but if you're trying to put out a well-edited novel, an email, or even a Facebook post, it causes problems. Especially when that misspelled word is one of thousands, buried in the middle of a paragraph, or technically spelled correctly (but with a totally different meaning than you intended). And, what about this one?
Today's is sunny with a chance of showers.
I bet your mind replaced the missing word (or perhaps you just dropped the "is"). Ever wonder how someone can write a sentence and miss an entire word? We do it all the time. The good news is that there are things you can do to overcome the human brain's tendency to auto-correct:
1. Use spell and grammar check. This gives you a headstart and highlights things like misspellings, double words, and incomplete sentences. Overcoming the brain's auto-correct for these things is tough. Why not use technology to your advantage?
2. Don't rely on spell and grammar check. It won't catch words that are spelled correctly, which also happen to mean something totally unintended.
3. Review your work multiple times and focus on specific errors each time. Read once for flow, once for spelling, once for commas and paragraph breaks, etc. Forcing your brain to look for a specific feature, like double words, helps you perceive what your brain would normally overlook.
4. Review your work in different media formats. Try marking up the document on your word processor, on a pdf, and on a printed copy. Seeing the document in different formats forces your brain to look at it in a different way and may just give you the edge you need to overcome human auto-correct.
5. If possible, mark up the document on a different day than when you wrote it (and correct it on a different day than when you marked it up). The closer you are to the time you wrote the document, the more likely your brain will overlook the same errors.
6. Finally, slow down! Review slowly and read each word, each sentence, one at a time. If you're normally a speedy reader, slowly draw your finger along under the text to help you do this. This also help you isolate each word in your mind and help prevent your mind from taking over.
Remember, use technology to your advantage, review multiple times, review in multiple media, separate the act of writing and reviewing (and correcting), and slow down. Following these tips may help your solo editing efforts, but they're no substitute for getting more eyes on your document. Once you think you have it perfect, let someone else take a look.
I'd love to hear your own human auto-correct woes and solutions. Share them in the comments!
It's Been a While, Here's What I'm Up to
Today I've decided to post a little status update instead of a book review. Primarily, that's because I don't have any book reviews lined up. Continue reading...
Exercise and editing, a great combo and here is why...
Today I went for a run. It's been a while since the last time I've done that. Usually, I practice karate or take walks, but today I ran. It was invigorating, even though I'm sorely out of practice. What does this have to do with editing?
Well, a lot actually. First off, exercise is an energizer, particularly helpful if you're going to be something sedentary and tedious (like editing). It's also a mood booster, so you'll feel good and that might help motivate you to get to work (cheerfully). And of course, it's good for your body. So you can stay healthy, not only fit, but well (As in not sick as often, and who wants to edit when they're sick? Not me.).
So, I ran today, and now it's time to edit.
I'm feeling good.
I'm motivated.
I'm energized.
What have you done today? Answer in the comments...
Well, a lot actually. First off, exercise is an energizer, particularly helpful if you're going to be something sedentary and tedious (like editing). It's also a mood booster, so you'll feel good and that might help motivate you to get to work (cheerfully). And of course, it's good for your body. So you can stay healthy, not only fit, but well (As in not sick as often, and who wants to edit when they're sick? Not me.). So, I ran today, and now it's time to edit.
I'm feeling good.
I'm motivated.
I'm energized.
What have you done today? Answer in the comments...
