Here we go folks. If you don't like this, it's Bethany's fault! LOL
When I started my job as Associate Editor at Wild Rose Press, I was excited to be able to read and help writers. I've been critiquing numerous people and judging writing contests for years, so I felt I had enough knowledge to judge a good book and help hone writer's skills if need be.
It has been a learning experience for me as well. My personal first drafts are cleaner. And I don't overuse certain words any more.( I find new ones to overuse. LOL) I've also learned to detect early-on when something isn't quite right with the plot.
When I edit for Wild Rose Press, I use tracking changes. I like to make comments as I read through the first time. Blatant things I can't just let go - like the use of 'that' 14 times in three paragraphs, passive phrases, POV hopping, and the thing that really sets my teeth to grinding - not knowing the historical info. Those things I flag and comment on. I also add punctuation as I go and make notes on a piece of notebook paper about the plot and other items I feel the writer should work on.
If I notice the same things happening over and over again, I stop at the second chapter. Then send those chapters with the tracking changes, attached to an e-mail with my thoughts on what they should work on back to the writer. If the story or characters call to me, I ask them to fix the first three chapters and resend. I also ask them to fix those problems in the whole manuscript while I am re-reading the partial. These are all easy fixes.
The things that are some times harder to pinpoint and the ones that aren't as easy for writers to fix are: no chemistry between the hero and heroine, too many secondary characters that don't appear essential to the plot, love scenes that read like rape scenes (I just read one), and plot issues.
If a writer can't get these figured out or is reluctant to work on these issues, I won't work with them any more. It means they aren't willing to improve or they don't see the problem.
Now, you would think I could detach myself from my own work. Nope! Not so! Though I do catch myself on a lot of the small things as I am writing, there are still some things that I need another eye to see in my work that I don't. When you are in your story, you know everything - and unfortunately, you don't always write it all down for the reader. That I think is my biggest downfall. I don't see the blank spaces in my own writing, because I intuitively place it in the story and don't realize it is missing. I am getting better though at stepping back and viewing my work as something I haven't seen before, but we all need another person's eyes to catch things we may have read a hundred times and missed.
When reading other writers, I see the blanks, because I don't have a clue about anything other than what the writer has told me. So the blanks show up.
I do find, however, if I save the writing in another type of font, and I know this seems silly, but it makes the story look different and I notice things easier. Even some of the blanks.
What are your nemesis when editing? Or things you know you do and haven't programmed yourself for self-edit yet?
8 comments:
Great Post Paty!
My neimis is sound alike/type alike words: quite/quiet, exercise/excise, excrete/exert etc. Spellcheck doesn't catch them, and the mind often corrects them automatically.
Like you, I struggle sometimes with detail gaps--I can picture the room in my head or the secondary character and it takes a reader to say--but "I have no clue what X looks like."
Thanks to Piper, I've been correcting my other big issue--"ly" and "ing" words with find. Doing a find for these words has made my overall writing tighter, and as a bonus by isolating sentences, I often find other little errors. I know I tend to repeat the same word too much--I'm going to try the software Lisa mentioned to spot this.
For years in school and in practice, I have utilized a couple of stand-by editing techinques--I read most/all of a draft outloud and I always let some time pass between the 2nd and 3rd Draft. I try to do at least one round of edits on paper rather than the computer--I see different things.
Thanks Wavy and Piper!
What is the read thingy? I suppose it's something only a Mac can do. :(
Reading your work is good to find sentences that don't work and dialogue that doesn't ring true.
I've been using the find all and highlighting the overused words. That glaringly shows you the repetition! LOL
Hey Piper (or whoever),
REALLY stupid question but what is the difference between info-dump and setting/plot. Like if I spend 2 pages without dialogue, but stuff is moving along and happening--that's not info dump right? Info dump is when you overload with background information or information not really relevant to that particular scene. Right? Okay. Alice can shoot me know. I'm overthinking my editing again. I need to just finish this second draft so I can let it marinate a while before I start pulling it apart with tweezers here.
You did a great job with that, Paty.
As for editing my own work, I tend to get bogged down on a particular passage or even one certain sentence that just won't flow right. When that happens, and if I remember this trick from my journalism days, I copy it to an email and email it to myself. It gives it a whole new look, and then I can often figure out what's wrong. (I havent' tried the different font idea, but same sort of deal)
I like to try and edit as I go, but make myself write X amount of pages before I go back and do that, so I don't keep spinning my wheels and actually make forward progress with the story.
And I'm with Wavy, letting my work marinate, after I think it's done -- but deep down know it's really not -- is a very helpful way to keep myself from sending out crap that I can make a lot better.
My nemeses are too long to list :-) Weak sentences to begin with, haha!
Great post, Paty!
Wavy, info dump is just that dumpng information into the narrative. Backstory or information you want the reader to know and take the easy way out by throwing it into the narrative. It's best to have it come out in conversations or actions.
Danita, I hadn't though of e-mailing it to myself. That's more work than just changing the font. LOL
Lisa, I don't believe you write weak sentences. tsk, tsk for even thinking that.
Making my characters sound the same. I have a habit of using the same expressions for different characters. For example, I tend to think (and say) "holy crap" quite a bit (yeah, I know, potty mouth here), and invariably, I always find my hero AND heroine using that phrase somewhere in the book. I read once that it was okay for your characters to use similar phrases when they've been together awhile - like later in the book - but I think that's a crock. I've been married for 15 yrs and my DH has never used the phrase "holy crap" even though I am known to say it often.
Where was I? (It's late and I'm tired). Oh right, editing. I also use the same body language over and over - Her stomach tightened; She squared her shoulders; He shifted his weight. Blah. Boring. I always have to think about what they're doing and check to see if they didn't just do that one paragraph up. ;)
Great blog, Paty! I know the more you crit, the stronger your writing becomes. I'm sure it's the exact same thing with editing for WRP. Glad to hear it's having a positive impact on your writing!
Eli - My EDH and I always absorb each other's phrases. I've even heard him mutter "you baboona$$" a time or two - one of my fave endearments ;-) For a while his endearment was "dumb-dumb" and I couldn't help but use that. I guess that makes me a follower though, haha!
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