Self-Editing/Rewrites – An Important Tool for any Author

You will find MANY articles, blogs, and self-help posts on the internet or in bookstores, regarding self-editing and rewrites. Everyone has their own way of doing this process, and quite frankly I think it should be left up to you, the writer, to discover what works best. Some wait until they are completely done to begin the editing, others do it while they write. Me personally, I edit as I write, and then again, and again, and again after I have completed the novel. The same holds true if you are writing a non-fiction article.

Some despise this process, while others love it. I happen to fully enjoy editing. It gives me comfort in knowing I’m making my story better, and it allows me to change my mind anytime I wish. Which is what writing is all about, right? That complete freedom to change, add, delete anything you want within your story.

I feel that editing is the most critical part of the writing process. There isn’t a magic number of times to re-read your story, but I was told to re-read my story until my mind squealed and then put it away for a week or two and come back and read it again…more