How to Ease Into the Editing Process

Everyone has a different NaNoWriMo experience. We’ve asked some wonderful NaNoWriMo writers to share theirs. Today, Tomehbell, NaNoWriMo participant and Municipal Liaison, shares her tips for looking over the novel you wrote during November and getting ready for the editing job ahead:   

Well,​ you​ ​managed​ ​to​ ​survive​ ​NaNo​ ​2016.​ ​Congratulations​ ​are​ ​in order! ​

2016​ ​has​ ​been​ ​a​ ​roller​ ​coaster​ ​of​ ​a​ ​year: ​some​ ​of​ ​us​ ​took​ ​some hits​ ​and​ ​a​ ​few​ ​of​ ​us​ ​had​ ​some​ ​misses,​ ​so​ ​as​ ​we​ ​close​ ​out​ ​their​ ​year​ ​I​ ​want you​ ​to​ ​take​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​pat​ ​yourself​ ​on​ ​the​ ​back​ ​and​ ​then​ ​grab​ ​some​ ​much needed​ ​and​ ​very​ ​well​ ​deserved​ ​R&R.​ Take​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​month​ ​of​ ​December and​ ​maybe​ ​part​ ​of​ ​January. After​ ​that,​ ​it’s​ ​time​ ​to​ ​roll​ ​up​ ​your​ ​sleeves​ ​and​ ​tackle​ ​your​ ​rewrite during the “Now What?” months (​if you​ ​finished).​ ​If​ ​you​ ​didn’t​ ​finish​ ​your​ ​novel​, ​now​ ​is​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​get​ ​those last​ ​chapters​ ​written. 

All writers​ ​will​ ​you​ ​tell​ ​you​ ​there​ ​isn’t​ ​one​ ​specific​ ​way​ ​to​ ​write,​ ​and there​ ​isn’t.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​be​ ​a​ ​punster,​ ​or​ ​crank​ ​out​ ​the​ ​next​ ​great​ ​American novel,​ ​or​ ​you​ ​can weave an intricate​ ​plot​ ​like​ ​Ms.​ ​Rowling​. However​, ​there​ ​is​ ​a​ ​set​ ​formula​ ​for​ ​rewriting​ ​your​ ​novel.​ ​There​ ​aren’t​ ​any shortcuts​ ​when​ ​we​ ​get​ ​to​ ​this​ ​phase​ ​of​ ​novel​ ​writing.​ ​If​ ​you’re aiming to polish your novel up to be the best that it can be–maybe even to be published–​this​ ​is​ ​the​ ​way​ ​to​ ​start:   

Step 1: ​Read your novel.

Print​ ​out​ ​your​ ​novel,​ ​grab​ ​some​ ​hot​ ​chocolate​ and ​a​ ​Netflix​ ​account, and​ ​read​ ​your​ ​novel​ ​from​ ​start​ ​to​ ​finish.​ ​No,​ ​this​ ​is​ ​not​ ​the​ ​moment​ ​for beta​ ​readers.​ ​That​ ​is​ ​the​ ​worst​ ​thing​ ​you​ ​can​ ​do​ ​right​ ​now.​ ​Your​ ​story,​ ​no matter​ ​how​ ​brilliant​ ​you​ ​think​ ​it’s​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be,​ ​is​ ​not​ ​ready​ ​for​ ​prying​ ​eyes. It’s​ ​a​ ​sure-fire​ ​confidence​ ​killer.​ ​You​ ​wrote​ ​a​ ​novel​ ​in​ ​30​ ​days​ ​without​ ​a care​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​You​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​to​ ​air​ ​your​ ​dirty​ ​laundry​ ​to​ ​world​ ​just yet. 

Have​ ​a​ ​highlighter​ ​and​ ​different​ ​colored​ ​pens​ ​close​ ​at​ ​hand​ ​after​ ​you’ve taken​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​sit​ ​down​ ​and​ ​do​ ​a​ ​read​ ​through.​ ​I​ ​like​ ​to​ ​use​ ​red​ ​pens​ ​for grammar​ ​and​ ​punctuation​ ​mistakes.​ ​Purple​ ​is​ ​for​ ​plot​ ​holes​ ​and​ ​continuity mistakes.​ ​Pink​ ​is​ ​for​ ​character​ ​misses​ ​and​ ​problems.​ ​Does​ ​my​ ​sidekick suddenly​ ​have​ ​an​ ​attitude​ ​readjustment​ ​for​ ​no​ ​reason​ ​at​ ​all?​ ​Green​ ​is​ ​used for​ ​setting​ ​mishaps.​ ​Did​ ​I​ ​say​ ​the​ ​MC​ ​house​ ​was​ ​on​ ​Meadowview​ ​Lane​ ​in Chapter​ ​1​ ​and​ ​then​ ​in​ ​Chapter​ ​20​ ​she’s​ ​on​ ​Buttercup​ ​Circle?​ ​My​ ​yellow highlighter​ ​is​ ​for​ ​things​ ​that​ ​just​ ​need​ ​to​ ​be​ ​rewritten.​ ​Clunky​ ​sentences, bloated​ ​descriptions,​ ​roundabout​ ​metaphors,​ ​things​ ​like​ ​that.   

Step 2: ​Don’t read your novel. 

After​ ​you​ ​finish​ ​your​ ​first​ ​rewrite,​ ​set​ ​it​ ​down​ ​and​ ​walk​ ​away.​ ​Yes, this​ ​is​ ​really​ ​the​ ​second​ ​step.​ ​Reward​ ​yourself​ ​for​ ​making​ ​it​ ​through​ ​step one.​ ​Read​ ​a​ ​few​ ​books​ ​you’ve​ ​been​ ​putting​ ​on​ ​the​ ​back​ ​burner.​ ​Learn how​ ​to​ ​roll​ ​fondant,​ ​and finish​ ​the​ ​last​ ​season​ ​of​ ​Criminal​ ​Minds. 

Steps​ ​3​–5​: Rinse and Repeat. ​

You​ ​are​ ​going​ ​to​ ​have​ ​to​ ​read, rewrite,​ ​walk​ ​away​ ​and​ ​then​ ​get​ ​back​ ​in​ ​there.​ ​It’s​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​tedious​ ​and you​ ​are​ ​going​ ​to​ ​burn​ ​out.​ ​It’s​ ​important​ ​that​ ​in​ ​between​ ​every​ ​repeat cycle​ ​you​ ​take​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​step​ ​back​ ​and​ ​reward​ ​yourself​ ​for​ ​all​ ​of​ ​your hard​ ​work. Now​ ​is​ ​the​ ​time​ ​to​ ​enlist​ ​your​ ​troupe​ ​of​ ​beta​ ​readers.​ ​You’ve​ ​polished​ ​your lump​ ​of​ ​coal​ ​into​ ​a​ ​diamond​ ​and​ ​your​ ​novel​ ​is​ ​ready​ ​for​ ​presentation.​ ​

I caution​ ​against​ ​using​ ​friends​ ​and​ ​family​ ​members as beta readers.​ ​They​ ​can​ ​be​ ​your​ ​worst critiques​ ​and​ ​your​ ​best​ ​confidence​ ​killers.​ ​Join​ ​a​ ​writing​ ​or​ ​critique​ ​group at​ ​your​ ​local​ ​library,​ ​or​ ​on​ ​Facebook​ ​or​ ​Tumblr.​ ​Give​ ​them​ ​a​ ​set​ ​of questions​ ​to​ ​answer​ ​and​ ​a​ ​timeline​ ​to​ ​get​ ​back​ ​to​ ​you.​ ​After​ ​that​ ​it​ ​could be​ ​another​ ​rinse​ ​and​ ​repeat​ ​round​ ​or​ ​it​ ​could​ ​be​ ​time​ ​to​ ​look​ ​for​ ​an​ ​agent or​ ​publisher​, ​if​ ​that​ ​is​ ​the​ ​route​ ​you​ ​are​ ​seeking.​ ​If​ ​not​, ​sit​ ​back​ ​and​ ​enjoy all​ ​of​ ​your​ ​hard​ ​work​ ​and​ ​just have​ ​a​ ​tall​ ​glass​ ​of​ ​cold​ ​milk.  

Tommehbell wrote her first story after she watched Michael Jackson moonwalk across her TV screen. She grew up in Germany as the oldest child of military parents. In 2010 she penned her first NaNo novel and the following year she became an ML and site mod. Since that first NaNo attempt Tommeh has received her BA and her first Masters. Currently she is working on a library science and information Masters and getting her MA manuscript published.
You can follow her on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.

Top photo by Flickr user Raul Pacheco-Vega.