5 Tips for Revising

No matter how much you love writing creatively sooner or later you are going to have to put in some time revising or editing your work.  Sitting down at the keyboard or with pad and pen can be so freeing if you just let go and write.  But you can't get something published if you don't go back and do some editing.


That can get downright boring!


I don't know how many times I've heard people say how much they love the writing part but how much they hate to edit.  Writing sets them free. Editing makes them work.  So how can we make it work better for us?  Here are some suggestions:

1. Start at the end.  That may sound self defeating. After all we probably wrote that last. Why should we want to go back and work on what we just finished? Well, how did you feel when you finished? Relieved? Happy? Ready to go celebrate?  Are you sure you did the best possible job or were you just on a roll and wanted to get it done. By going back and editing it (and you can re-edit again later) you will do two things. You will remind yourself of any little thing that you might need to fix during the book so that the ending makes sense and you can see it this time from a non-judgmental viewpoint. Look to make certain the ending is just what you want it to be.

2. Go back over notes on things you might have made during your writing. Make certain that you have those big things written down that you knew you will have to watch for and fix. Were there any things that you kept saying during the writing that you needed to fix later? Write those down now before you begin to edit.


3. Write down the things that you know are your crutches.  You know those words that you find yourself using over and over again? Write them down now before you tackle your revisions so that you can watch for them. Sometimes I use "just" too much so I always make certain I am ready to look for that as I revise.  Write down any of your pet phrases so you can watch for them. You might even put in a search and go through the manuscript looking for them first, before you start to edit.


4. Give yourself a reasonable working goal. Don't think you are going to do it all at once. Maybe go back and edit a chapter or two that you knew was a problem chapter and try re-writing that before you tackle the entire manuscript. Sometimes working on little bits and pieces can be a lot easier than having the whole thing to deal with later.


5. Now start at the beginning! Go through a chapter at a time and then go through it again before you move on. Look over your notes from before and make any new notes that you might want to look for in later chapters.


Before you begin that final edit, one final thing -- let the manuscript sit for at least a couple of weeks. Sometimes waiting for a while can give you a whole new perspective when you make that final edit.

5 Tips to Editing

This month I have been teaching a class on short stories as well as working on edits for two projects. While I thorough enjoy letting go with my writing and just letting it take me wherever the muse wants to go, editing is work. Hard work. When it comes to editing, I always find myself looking for easy answers and there really aren't any. There are so many different things to consider when editing so I went through to find a list of things that sometimes get forgotten, but are easy to do to begin the process or when you feel like editing is getting you down. Here are some quick tips to keep in mind as you begin the process or if you get stuck in the middle of the process:

1. Look for your "weak" words.  This might also be called your crutch words. We all have them -- things like

usually
just
really
often
always

On your first editing pass, throw your crutch words into search or find and track them down. If you can do without them, then do it.

2. Look for filter words or phrases. This is something I had not thought about when I first started writing, but why use extra words or put more room between the reader and the characters.  Instead of saying She saw the man get into the car, simply say: The man got into the car. If we are in her head, seeing things from her viewpoint already, then just let her tell the readers what she sees.

3. Watch for padded words.  Just like filter words, these are words that aren't necessary.

Sit down
stand up
drop down
follow behind
rise up
dash quickly

If you sit, you are down, if you stand, you are up.  There are probably more words you can find to add to this list. They might even be crutch words for you. Look for them and get rid of them.

4. Check your opening and your ending.  You should re-read them over before you consider your editing completed, but it is also a good way to start the process.  Make certain that the idea you started with makes sense with how you are ending your story. Do you fulfill the promise of the beginning?  Is your character changed, but still believable?  Is there a scene you need to add or delete as a result of what you wrote at the beginning but now that the story is finishing you find you don't need that. Go back and get rid of it.

5.  Read your story aloud.  This is my favorite editing tip.  Maybe it's because I spent so many years in television newsrooms where so many of us were reading our stories aloud as we wrote them. If you write for TV news you want to know how it's going to sound when the words are read. You want to make certain they work together and the thought is not so complicated that the reader (or listener) will get lost in the middle.  Reading a story aloud can really help you see problem areas.  It can be an absolute must when writing dialogue. If you can't read the dialogue aloud, then I doubt people can speak it.

Most of all as you edit, don't let it get you down. The story is written and you have words on the page. Simply make certain they're the right words. (I was about to write Just make certain -- then I edited it out -- that is one of my crutch words)