Saturday, March 30, 2013

A Quick Word About Editing

Editing has always been my favorite part of the writing process. I love to see my manuscript blossom and grow into something I can be proud of. 

I have developed a system that works well for me. I like to use colored pencils, highlighters and sticky notes. I use long sheets of butcher wrap or hobby paper so I can put my high action scenes in red and my low action scenes in green. If I have a lot more green than red I know my pace is to slow.  

It's very important to put your manuscript away for a few weeks so that you have a good bit of distance from it. I like to re-read the manuscript at that point and look for conflict, character development, passive prose and voice.

I do not like to use a computer in the editing process. I prefer to work on my own with a printed manuscript. I cut and scribble and rearrange all I want without anything between myself and my project.  

I don't worry about grammar, spelling, and formatting until the second to last revision. After everything is done, I then send it to my critique partners for review.  

After I check and double check everything again, I then put the manuscript away for a second time. I let it sit for another week or two before re-reading it again and sending it to my agent.

What methods do you use for revisions?
 

7 comments:

Katrina L. Lantz said...

I really like that process of highlighting low and high action scenes in red and green so you have an idea of the pacing. That's definitely a hard thing to judge on your own, and color-coding is pretty brilliant. Must try that in my new Scrivener toy! Thanks for sharing your process. It is so helpful to hear how my favorite authors do things.

LinWash said...

I also like your highlighting process and the fact that you print your manuscript and read it from hard copy. When I draft I add notes to myself to address at the revision stage. When I revise, I start a new file for the manuscript. I have revision notes and questions in a separate file and go through those. I keep a cuts file whenever I cut text. I have lists of characters and their traits (hair color, eye color) and keep checking that chart as I revise.

Angela Townsend said...

Thank Katrina!

Angela Townsend said...

Thanks for sharing these great tips!

Angelica R. Jackson said...

It's definitely a crucial step to let it "gestate" for a while between edits!

Angela Townsend said...

Oh for sure! I see so many new writers that send things out to quickly!

Unknown said...

I was just thinking, "Hmmm I bet I could do that in Scrivener, via the cork board. Yes, thanks, Katrina!