In this article we'll consider:
The art of self-editing
The 3 stages of editing
How to know when it's time to stop editing
Download to read later:
As a novel writer, the process of self-editing your work is both a labour of love and a crucial step towards flexing and improving your creative muscles. However, finding the balance between refining your manuscript and knowing when to let it go can be as challenging as the writing and editing process itself.
In this article, we consider how you can hone your craft while avoiding the fiendishly endless cycle of revisions.
The art of editing
As if writing the manuscript wasn't strenuous enough, then comes the real work. Fiction editing is not just about fixing typos and grammar, it's a transformative process that shapes those first raw ideas into a cohesive format not only intended to be understood by readers, but devoured and thoroughly enjoyed.
In other words, editing is a skill in its own right, and we could argue that where you really learn your craft is not in the writing of the book, but in the editing of it.
With practice, through self-editing you can elevate your storytelling, deepen immersive worlds, make plots more original, and hone complex and intriguing characters. But how to tackle what seems like a messy, muddled, mountainous task of separating the wheat from the chaff whilst at the same time looking out for the minutiae of plot inconsistences and character descriptions?
Answer: With an organized system. The same one used by publishers and freelance editors all over the world.
The 3 stages of editing
For more details and a cheat sheet, take a look at the 3 Core Editing Stages Simplified. But to summarize, these stages are:
Structural edit: Focuses on the big-picture elements and overall coherence of the novel, including plot development, timeline, setting, and character arcs.
Copyedit: Sentence-level work. Removes ambiguity and inconsistency, and ensures the narrative is clear, concise and effective in line with its genre.
Proofread: Deals with grammar, punctuation, and consistency in formatting, ensuring a professional finish to your manuscript.
It could be that you'll do several passes of your manuscript for the structural edit, or several for copyediting but just one for proofreading, or perhaps you'll only focus on the first two stages and leave the third to your proofreader - whatever works for you is fine, but key here is to complete these stages in the order stated above.
This way, you are clear on what you are looking for during each editing pass, and it stops you creating extra work for yourself by having to backtrack on editing tasks you've already done but now have to do again having reworked the narrative.
Take a look at Self-Edit With Clarity & Confidence if you need help to identify what to look out for at each of the editing stages. By getting clear on your editing process, you'll see it less as a daunting, disorganized chore, and more for what it is - an opportunity for growth and refinement.
However, it's easy to get caught in the trap of endless editing, constantly tweaking sentences and revising paragraphs in pursuit of an unattainable perfection. At some point, you must let go and release your work into the world if you're to meet your publishing goals (and stay sane, and start on the next book).
When to stop self-editing
When the story feels cohesive and compelling: Trust your instincts. This is especially difficult for new writers. But if you're a fiction writer, the chances are you're also an avid fiction reader. You know what makes a story tick. If the narrative flows seamlessly, carrying the reader through the plot without distraction, and/or you've reached a dead end and can see no other way it could be improved, then presently there's no more for you to do.
When you've addressed your primary goals: Reflect on the initial objectives you set out to achieve with your novel. Have you effectively communicated your message or story arc? If so, and you've accomplished what you set out to do, it might be time to stop editing.
When feedback is positive: Whether to seek feedback from loved ones or beta readers is a debatable issue. It's not always accurate (who wants to tell their brother, wife or best friend their work is a bit ropey) and it can go either way (lift you up or break you down, rightly or wrongly). But if you gird your loins and travel this path anyway, the key is to go with the majority verdict. If the general consensus is your novel is engaging and well-crafted, it could be a signal your work is done. However, if the consensus says otherwise, and their feedback is constructive and makes sense, it's back to the keyboard or hire a professional for more help.
When all you're doing is shifting commas around: This is the biggie. The dead giveaway. The flashing beacon you're just nervously delaying what's next. Whether the manuscript is complete or not, a seamless success or pockmarked with holes, if you're at the stage of doing nothing but ruminate over punctuation, that's a sure sign you've reached your limit. You're no longer adding anything of value to the narrative itself. You're done. It's time to suck in a deep breath and take the next step.
In short, when you've addressed each of the core editing stages, and there's really nothing more of worth you're adding, it's time to move on. Ideally, that next step will be hiring an editor - a third party with a fresh set of eyes and an understanding of the industry and what makes a book effective.
An editor can not only guide you through anything you might have missed and recognize where to maximize your narrative, but can also provide you with reassurance, identifying your strengths, pointing out how and where you're on the right path. All of which helps you build confidence in your writing and editing skills, which in turn compounds with each new book. It's a win-win.
Finally...
The bonus is that, over time, with greater experience of self-editing, you'll find your first drafts improve exponentially, as will your editing processes. You'll have clarity on what to tackle when; and once completed, you'll be less anxious about letting the work go. You'll know when you've done all you can, and that it's time to move on to the next stage.
Sign up to the Fiction Yogi monthly newsletter
For industry news, exclusive Fiction Yogi offers, and updates on the latest writing, editing and publishing resources in the Hub, including handy downloadable PDF guides, checklists and cheat sheets, sign up to the monthly newsletter. No spam guaranteed. In addition, receive the free booklet, 6 Powerful Ways to Convey Character: A short guide to articulating depth, emotion and personality in your fiction.
Tina Williams of Fiction Yogi is a copyeditor and proofreader who works with writers at all stages, giving them the tools to improve their manuscript and level up their writing so they can meet their publishing goals.
Opmerkingen