Rewards of Editing

In the past I’ve touched heavily on how stressful editing can be, but I haven’t really talked about how amazingly rewarding editing can be as well. So today I’d like to take a little time out to discuss the rewards of editing.

The Perfect Bits

There’s no greater joy in a writers world than reading over a sentence or even a paragraph that is so perfect you almost can’t believe you wrote it. Especially if you’ve spent most of the time with a red pen making the paper bleed. There’s something incredibly refreshing about seeing that perfect little bit of writing that you’re just like. This is genius. I love it.

The Funny Bits

Like the above, this is the moment where you read over a joke (either an intentional one or unintentional one) that really makes you laugh out loud. I’ve had a number of times where what the character said wasn’t originally intended to be funny, but it actually works as a joke if you want it to. Making yourself laugh or even smile really brightens up the process.

The Plot Twist

Occasionally there will be a plot twist that comes along that even I didn’t see coming, so when you look back on it in editing, you’re sort of in awe of the fact that the story took this turn. It’s really great when you’ve forgotten about the plot twist so when it comes around again you’re as surprised as you were the first time around.

The Rest

Maybe the happiest moment is reading over something that you weren’t sure about when you wrote it but realize it actually came out really well… or perhaps your happiest editing moment is after a series of edits when you read over it and start to think it’s actually shaping up into something.

Reader Reactions

Perhaps the most exhilarating moment is when you finally finish and you allow someone to read it (even if it’s technically still going to need a few more edits) and they love it! There’s nothing more satisfying than knowing that your work is enjoyed. That’s why we write after all… for the readers and for ourselves.

The greatest joy, if you are lucky enough to get there, is to be able to read your story yourself and really really like it. It’s one thing to like the idea of it, but to really like it and be able to read over it, that’s magical, and it’s not an easy thing to do.

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