#editingadvice

Arguably the hardest part of being a writer is editing your work. For me, it's like having a pile of puzzle pieces and trying to sort them into a coherent image. Or filling in the blank on a Mad Lib. There's cutting, slicing, and rearranging. I toss aside lines and paragraphs, even whole scenes, that I originally loved. Then I realize that the ending I thought I'd use doesn't work at all, so I have to reroute the plot down another path. It's not nearly as fun as coming up with an idea and drafting it. That's really where the magic happens. The editing stage is where things get bloody. The ink from the red pen flows down the page. Yes, I like to edit hard copies. There's something about holding the pages in my hand and marking the page with a pen that makes it feel tangible to me. Probably the same reason I prefer physical books over e-books.I don't think I've ever met a writer who said they liked editing. I'm sure they exist, but I assume they are like a Bigfoot or a yeti. People claim they exist, some even claim to have seen them, but until I get confirmation I'm going to assume they are a myth.This isn't to say I hate editing my own work. I just find it awkward and uncomfortable. I much prefer editing the work of others. In fact, I do a lot of editing for other writers. Books, short stories, articles, press releases...give me a few hours and I'll give you constructive feedback, find the typos, clean up the grammar. Part of it is probably due to the fact that I'm too close to my own writing. It's too intimate. I often find that when editing my own writing I can't see it properly. With another writer, there's a disconnect, a distance. With my own work, well, I'm too connected to it. It's also much easier to find the typos and inconsistencies in the work of someone else than it is in my own. Luckily, my partner has a good eye and doesn't mind whipping out the red pen when I ask.This is why some of my stories may take months, even a year or longer, to get to a final form. I tend to work on one for a bit, then set it aside for a while so I can come back to it with fresh eyes. Most of my short stories may only go through two or three drafts, although on some occasions the difference between the first and last draft are like night and day.Love it or hate it, editing is part of the creative process. There's no avoiding it. Once the fun part (drafting) is done, then the hard work (editing) has to happen. At least the finished product is worth the time and effort. RB