Every manuscript will need an edit—usually several edits—before it can be submitted for publication. You’ll want to be certain the spelling and punctuation are perfect and that the word or words you are using mean exactly what you intend. You’ll want to tighten up loose writing and loosen up writing that’s too clipped (unless that’s the form you’re going for). You’ll want to determine the style manual being used by the prospective publisher of your work and follow its demands. And, of course, you’ll want to correct the inevitable typos that enter your work.
But all of that is best characterized as the “nitty-gritty.” You’ll also need to convert passive phrases to a more active voice. You’ll need to shorten lengthy sentences and break up paragraphs that go on for pages. You’ll want to be certain you retained the desired point-of-view. And you’ll want to monitor your word usage, so you don’t repeat a word several times in the same paragraph.
Do your references to time or day of the week make sense, or has Robert left at 1:00 to arrive at a 12:00 luncheon date Wednesday having failed to appear on Monday as previously arranged? Can you actually see the dancing lights of the aurora borealis from your apartment in Nashville or stroll along Las Vegas Boulevard under a star-lit sky?
Anything that causes a reader to stumble trying to make sense of a sentence or that leads your reader to question your accuracy and so, your veracity—even in a piece of fiction—is ripe for editing.
The problem is that all this careful attention to detail tends to interfere with the creative flow of the writing itself. Indeed, self-editing can morph into a major writing block—an endless process of self-questioning that prevents you from making any progress on the project.
The trick is to develop a habit of editing after-the-fact; that is, after your initial draft is down on paper or in the computer. And that requires you to give your inner critic a “time-out” so you can finish the writing before you let that critic loose.
I’ve found that I need to read a piece through several times before I’m satisfied that it’s in as good a shape as possible. I do a first edit on the computer to catch the big errors: typos, spelling, grammatical inconsistencies, and the like. Then I print a copy, leaving it to the next day to review. That second review is more focused on flow and authenticity than on the nitty-gritty, although there always are lurking errors to be found. There are third, fourth, and even fifth reviews, especially writing a book. I continue to find ways to tweak the writing, stopping when it feels right while knowing an editor will find still more things to be corrected.
One of the best ways to detect what isn’t working is to read the piece out loud. Even better is to have a willing friend read it aloud to you. You’ll end up hearing a good deal more than you were able to see.
How do you go about polishing your writing without bringing the whole process to a grinding halt?