I Wouldn't Be Caught Dead in Front of a Typewriter

No, I'm not kidding. My laptop has become vital, almost like a major organ. At any rate, this morning found me back at doing the revisions on my work-in-progress (WIP).

Edits for me are torture, filled with dread and doubts. I'll mull over the same snatch of dialogue several times, hating it for sounding too juvenile, stilted, or ordinary. I'll hop up, stomp around, and curse.

By the next moment the dread and doubts dissipate, and I'm in a better mindframe. I settle down and resume my edits. Oh, and the dialogue got fixed.

Early in the revision cycle, I turn on the redline feature to MS Word. I say I want to gauge how much of the text is getting edited. Knowing the volume of the edits aids me in determining how much more time I should allot to the WIP. Pretty soon, I get sick of looking at all the redlines cluttering up the page, and turn the feature off.

I also like to switch up the font style and color, trying to trick my eyes into seeing a different manuscript. Dark blue and red are the font colors I prefer. Garamond and Arial are the two font styles I go with during my edits.

Do these gimmicks actually benefit me? Well, even placebos have their rightful place. So, I'll keep on using them. As for the typewriter, it's just a dimming memory.

By Ed Lynskey
@edlynskey
Author of Lake Charles
"Satisfying."
The Rap Sheet/Kirkus Reviews