Today I'm excited to present a guest post by writer and blogger, SK Valenzuela. I came across her website when she sent me an email requesting a book review. As I popped over to her sites, I was really impressed with her blog that offers writers a plethora of writing advice in an interesting way. I asked her to write a guest post for my blog and she accepted. So, sip on your drink of choice and enjoy the ride!
Jazzing Up the Editing Process
For many writers,
there’s something about the prospect of editing that seems to drain energy and
sap enthusiasm. After the exhilarating creative process of writing, editing
seems like the place where creativity goes to die. But whether we like it or
not, editing is a critical step in the process of bringing a work to
publication, whether you plan to submit your work to a traditional
agent/editor/publisher or publish your work yourself.
Think about everything
that the editing process does for your book. It ensures that your style matches
your subject. It checks the consistency of your characters and your plot. It
makes sure that your grammar is flawless and your dialogue sparkles. And it
makes sure that there is nothing in your story that doesn’t belong there. The
process of publishing a book is not unlike filming a movie. The writing process
is like the acting, directing, and filming. Editing is the costume and set
design, the hair and makeup, and the cutting room. Together, they make a
blockbuster.
Without stellar
editing, your creative masterpiece will remain rough and unpolished and utterly
unappealing to your readers. So, there’s a lot to be said for fostering a love
affair (or at least a working business relationship) with the editing process.
Here are a few easy ways to make your editing more efficient and less painful.
1. Finish the first
draft.
This can be helpful
both for those who really hate the editing process and for those who can’t seem
to shut off their inner perfectionist. For the perfectionist, trying to edit as
you write can be paralyzing. Those who hate or fear the editing process may
remain in the writing bubble for as long as possible. So, if you designate a
time for editing, you free yourself to get the work of writing finished and you
set a deadline for moving into the polishing phase of your work.
2.
Fresh
eyes.
Once you’ve finished
your first draft, set it aside for a few days (or weeks). If you’re still too
close to the story, you can be blind to its flaws. Letting it rest and giving
your mind a creative vacation can allow you to approach it with fresh eyes. As
you take a long, hard look at your manuscript, don’t be afraid to be ruthless
with it. It will be a better product if you are.
3.
Break out of the box.
One of the biggest
challenges of self-editing is the tendency of our minds to autocorrect. Our eyes gloss over misspellings and
grammatical errors. We know what we meant to say or how that dialogue is
supposed to sound, so our mind fixes any issues with flow or description as we
read. To switch off autocorrect, we need to kick the mind out of its comfort
zone. To do that, try one (or several) of these techniques:
• Change the font. If you use a basic font
like Times New Roman, change everything into a completely different font, like
Courier or Comic Sans. Your words look different and the spacing changes, so
you trick your brain into thinking its seeing the manuscript for the first
time.
• Change the font color. Avoid bright or
neon colors that would hurt your eyes if you read for a long time, but again,
you’re looking for something that changes the look of your manuscript. Try a
dark blue, green, or purple.
• Change the margin size and the font
size. Same idea: make your brain think this is something completely new.
4.
Get
in the zone.
This tip actually
comes from the wonderful dynamic duo of CJ Lyons and Joanna Penn, who together
run a wonderful ProWriter course on Joanna’s website, The Creative Penn. Try
establishing an “editing zone” in your house that is different from your usual
writing zone. At the very least, try using a different chair. Sitting at the
“editing desk” or in your “editing chair” can put your mind in the editing zone
and help keep you focused on the task at hand.
5.
Read
with Reader’s Eyes
Once you get your
initial edits completed, try exporting your file to your Kindle or other
e-reader. How does it come across on the digital page? This is like using a
proof copy to check for spacing, margin, and other errors, so it helps you to
find and fix any formatting mistakes before you upload your book. It serves
another purpose as well: when you see your book as your readers will see it, it
switches your brain out of writer mode and into reader mode. This mode is best
for editing for plot and character consistency. Does the story move you the way
you thought it would? Are there places where the pacing is off? Have a short
list of issues you are reading for (like plot, timeline, and character
consistency) and see what else you find.
The bottom line: do
whatever you need to do in order to embrace the editing process, which is at
least as vital to your work as the creative process of writing. Find an
effective process for managing your editing and stick with it. Your work--and
your readers--will thank you.
S.K. has been
a lover of the written word since childhood, and she’s been writing stories for
as long as she can remember. Her interest in the intertwining of history,
mythology, and the artistry of language inspires much of her work, including
her sci-fi/fantasy adventure series, The Silesia Trilogy.
The first two books of the trilogy, Silesia:
The Outworlder and The Lords of Askalon, are currently available. The
third book, The Artifex, will be released this summer.
When she’s
not writing novels, you can find her freelancing about writing and all things
parenting. She also loves good music, chocolate, and playing with her kids. She
lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, six beautiful children, a stately
cat, and a flock of backyard chickens.
You can visit
her on her writing blog at sistermuses.wordpress.com and find out more about her
current projects at skvalenzuela.com.
Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter at @skvalenzuela.
