I am currently editing my latest novella, and editing is hell. Well, it is for me anyway, and unless you’re a psycho, it’s probably hell for you too.
To me, editing feels like the parable of the ant and the grasshopper – you’re having a jolly old time bashing out a first draft, but then it gets to winter and you have nothing but incomprehensible grammar and a load of ‘ADD DESCRIPTION HERE’s to last you until spring.
It’s tough, so here are three editing tips to help you get through this arduous slog. Or rather, here are three mistakes I routinely make and I urge you to do the opposite.
1. Never go to bed on an argument
If I’m getting frustrated and struggling to perfect something, I can’t just leave it, I have to end that editing session on a high. If I don’t, it is incredibly difficult for me to return to it the next day. I usually take a break and leave the room to get my head straight, and sometimes a sip or two of wine will put me back in the fighting spirit, but whatever it takes I have to go back and finish whatever is driving me crazy (or at least write an action plan on how to tackle it if I’m too tired to do it there and then).
2. If you’re going to faff, don’t do it at your desk
If you’re reaching for your phone or thinking about dinner instead of editing, get up from wherever you’re working and walk about a bit. Movement is key to keep the ideas flowing. The brain doesn’t need you to check your emails or to watch satisfying cleaning videos to stay motivated, it needs blood circulation. I’m terrible for sitting at my desk for hours at a time, wondering why I’m struggling to work, when I know I do my best stuff after a gym session.
3. Don’t look back
Don’t edit each sentence over and over and over until you can’t look at it anymore. It’s a recipe for overediting. Unless a particular sentence is really irking you (see tip 1), read it through no more than a couple of times before moving on to the next. You’ll have to go through the whole thing multiple times anyway, so don’t exhaust yourself. In my experience, it’s also better to approach editing by taking a step back rather than honing in on every little detail as you’re more likely to pick up on plot holes and mistakes.
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