Never Ending Process

And with 762 words – it is Done All About The Edit

Never Ending Process

This morning, before checking all my on-line social outlets, I decided to continue in the routine I had while writing Nine of Cups. When I was writing it, would try and write first thing after my necessary cups of coffee. With NoC done, I now switch to editing the novel I wrote before it, ‘Bindings & Spines’. So first thing this morning, when I sat in front of my computer, I edited the first chapter of that novel.

Editing is, in so many ways, completely different than writing. However, it is as important as getting the thoughts down in the first place. One can not be a writer if they are also not an editor.

To be a good editor you have to be passionate about the story and yet distanced enough to be able to make the cuts needed. You have to be a fanatic of the technical process of writing and still be a creative creature that is capable of thinking outside the box. You have to double think the whole time. You must love the cuts as much as you love creating.

Needless to say, learning how to be a good editor takes as much time and effort as learning how to become a good writer. And much of it is mind set.

To learn how to write, one must read, and edit. To learn how to edit, one must read, and write, and edit. I spent many hours editing other peoples work so that I could learn how to edit my own. Reading other peoples words taught me how to see, spot, and understand why certain things didn’t work. Once I was attuned to these issues, I could then find the same problems in my own writing.

I just went through a lengthy edit process on my short story published in Shades and Shadows: A Paranormal Anthology. The story had already been edited by myself a number of time before sending it to my personal editor (who does so much voluntary work for me and always teaches me new stuff that I could never repay her). Once the two of us had hammered out the edits we thought were necessary on the story, I then sent it to beta-readers (to whom I also owe a great debt) for their thoughts. Once I had made edits based on their opinions, I then submitted it. And then came more rounds of edits from the publisher themselves.

Did I resent these new edits after so many had already been done on one simple short story? Not a chance. In truth, I relished them. Here was another, and different, view point guiding me, helping me be being able to make my story stronger, to make my writing better, and to teach me new ways of viewing my own work

Only a fool thinks they have learned it all. One who plays with words but thinks their work doesn’t need edits, or thinks that they themselves don’t need to edit other people’s words, or doesn’t read books written to help learn to write better is simply NOT a writer. Without that never ending process – no one is a writer. With out that process – one is only deluding and pretending to be what the could be.

Embrace the process and embrace your potential.