Editing Away
Hello Friends and Family!
While talking to my sister this evening, I realized not only that it was the end of the month, but that I’d neglected to finish the blog I drafted a few weeks ago. The topic: editing. The reason I’ve delayed finishing said blog: editing.
After signing the contract with The Wild Rose Press (TWRP), I received a number of tasks to complete from my publisher including performing a self-edit following TWRP’s style guide.
Editing.
The word that makes so many writers cringe, and the subject of many, many writer memes such as a picture of a woman at a desk with the house in disarray because she has to meet her editing deadline or a grumpy Mr. Bean face referencing the look you get after a few hours of editing. I agree, I’ve felt both of these sentiments throughout my author career, but I also love editing. Yes, editing is tedious and takes time, but the manuscript shines brighter after every edit.
Of course, I submitted an edited manuscript to TWRP. But TWRP like other presses have a style guide. With their Self-editing Checklist in hand, I have been editing my manuscript (save for a pause for a few weeks due to the flu). There are a wide array of instructions and helpful editing lists, and I’m having fun examining each and every sentence, scene, point of view, etc. in my manuscript.
If you’re in the midst of editing and wondering where to begin, I have a few helpful tips.
First, turn on your spellcheck and go through your manuscript. Simple, right? It may be simple, but it’s a step many forget.
Second, search for weak verbs such as move, reached, went, etc. and highlight them throughout the manuscript. Then, when you’re editing, you can address these words in context and swap for a stronger word.
Next, add more showing details. Use the search tool and search for telling words such as felt, heard, etc. Again, highlight. When you edit, describe the scene more fully with showing details. Instead of ‘she felt so angry that she kicked the vase,’ remove the telling verb and transform the sentence to, ‘With a huff, she thrust her foot forward and kicked the ceramic vase, shattering the family heirloom.’ Actions help the reader become more immersed in the scene.
Dialogue tags. This is a big one for me. In my drafts, I tend to overuse dialogue tags such as ‘he said,’ ‘she nodded’ or my most overused tag, ‘she smiled.’ I can’t help it! I’m a happy person, but of course my characters aren’t always happy, otherwise, there wouldn’t be a complete story arc. So, I analyze each and ever tag, remove those that aren’t necessary, and enhance those that are.
Next, I read every sentence and check for appropriate syntax. Comma splice? Period missing?
And my final editing recommendation: change the font and spacing. This change will tell your mind that you’re looking at a new document, enabling you to see the document with fresh eyes, similar to when you print out your manuscript.
Of course there are lots of other items to review during editing such as head-hopping, point of view, typos, etc., but like I said, it’s editing time and my kids are finally asleep.
Until next time, I wish you lots of great books, editing, and writing.
With love,
Erica Mae