The Editing Process

Allison's story is coming along, but for this story (unlike Into Astrid's Heart) I'm doing my editing a little differently. There are two primary ways of editing a manuscript.

• editing as you go. i.e. pausing every twenty pages or so and looking for typos and inconsistencies.
• editing once the rough draft is fully done

Normally, I edit a manuscript once it's complete, but this time, I'm editing as I go. Both techniques have their ups and downs. Editing once it's complete, can be difficult if the story has a major plot problem and may require a lot of revision. Editing as you go can feel, not necessarily be, very time consuming.

For Seat of the Pants writers like me, editing once the manuscript is complete may seem more reasonable. We tend to write as the inspiration hits us, and we don't like stopping in the middle of a scene to go back and look for errors. But Seat of the Pants writers also have a very hard time writing good plots. If you write when the inspiration hits you, try some self discipline and edit as you go, it may be easier to correct plot problems.

For Plotters (writers who spend much of their time planning incredible, layered plots, with well developed characters) editing once you finish a manuscript may be easier, especially if the writing of the story doesn't come as easily to you.

So persevere in the editing process! Both ways can prove difficult. It's hard to take a knife to your creation. And don't be afraid to find someone who you can critique with - someone who really knows what to look for and what editors will look for. My critique partner, Esther, is simply amazing at finding the flaws in my work. It hurts at first, but their advice can be extremely helpful if you take it.