Editing Till It Shines

Part of learning how to write a novel, is learning editing skills. Unless you can be a good critic of your own work, you won't get it to sparkle. And rewriting is a large part of what writing a novel is all about.


A Little Honesty Goes A Long Way

When I was in college, I used to edit research papers for fellow students (not necessarily a fun task!). It taught me a lot about good and bad writing, and mistakes I might have missed in my own work because I was too subjective about my own words.

So, the first thing you need to learn to be good at editing is to be objective!

I always put my novels aside for a few weeks before going back to rewrites. Otherwise, my head is still in the clouds of that world, and I can't shake myself loose enough to be critical of my own words. (Doesn't do to be in love with your own words. No one else will be, if you didn't get them right!)

If you find you can't be objective about your own novel, find someone you trust who can. (Not your mom! Unless she's an author...) Have that reader tell you what parts were confusing, which characters she couldn't keep straight, and where she was yawning.

She can also tell you where she was riveted and couldn't put the book down (you did write a novel that's hard to put down, right?), what parts she likes best and which characters seemed most alive to her. Good comments will tell you what you've done right, so you can mimic those parts in the parts you haven't nailed, yet.

No one you know wants to read your kind of novel? You can use an editorial service. Make sure you know specifically what services they offer, and how much they charge. Then be sure they seem reputable. It would be a pity to throw money into getting your book edited and find it hadn't been done well at all.

So, either do your editing impartial to the fact that it's your hours of slaving over a keyboard you're about to tear apart, or give it to someone who will.


If At First You Don't Succeed, Rewrite, Rewrite, Rewrite

Writing a whole novel is a time-consuming, tiring task. Editing it will likely take longer than getting the first draft down.

Take your time. It's worth it.

Start with the plot line. Does it flow seamlessly from beginning to end, sub-plots and all? Are there any missing segments? Fill those in now. Something happened that makes no sense? Cut it.

Yup. If you're going to edit a novel , you have to learn to discard your precious babies. I mean the paragraphs you may have liked the most when you wrote them.

If they don't fit now, cut them out and save them for another novel, or a piece of poetry. That's part of what can go into a creative writing idea file. You may yet find use for it.

You also need to look at your characters, your setting (time and place both), your "facts", even if you wrote a fantasy, names of places and people. (I told you it was a lot of work!)

You may find you need to rid your novel of extraneous characters (ouch! I often do). Don't throw them out entirely. Keep a file of discards to consider using in other novels.

How's your description? You're supposed to make vivid images for your readers, remember? It's all in the details, so add them where you need them, and subtract where you have too many.

Once you've looked at all these facets of your novel, you're about done editing.


The Final Frontier

If you've gone through your entire novel for every detail, you're nearly to the finish line and ready to begin marketing it and getting it sold. But before you try to publish it, I have one last thing I think you should do.

This may sound silly, but one of the best editing devices I know of for any type of writing it to read it aloud.

Yes, you read that right. Read your novel aloud. Not all in one sitting, but a page at a time, or a chapter at a time.

I don't know about you, but I "hear" books in my head as I read them. This doesn't slow me down (contrary to opinions that say it does). I can still polish off a novel in a day or two at most, if I have the leisure (which I usually don't).

The thing is, some novels don't "sound" right. And if you read to your kids, this makes a huge difference. Even if it's not a kid's book, it makes a difference.

Reading your work out loud will help you find places where the words don't flow, or you've put something awkwardly. Yes, I know this is a long piece of fiction you've written, but seriously, it will make a difference.

If you don't think you'll hear it well reading it yourself, have someone read it to you. Stop them when you hear something that sounds wrong, and make a note. Then go on.

You won't regret this last step in editing, even if you think you've gone over everything with a fine-tooth comb.

If you go the extra mile, your novel will shine all the way to the publisher!