by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
After my post Wednesday on writing multiple books a year, I got some questions on Twitter and via email about my editing approach. I thought I’d tackle that topic today.
First off, I want to stress that—like writing—not every editing method works out best for every writer.
This is my method and I’m probably fast at it because 1) I’ve practiced it a lot 2) I note all editorial feedback and use it for future books 3) I read quickly 4) I make quick decisions on my manuscript’s changes.
I just finished a book on Wednesday and this is the process I’ll use to edit the book:
I read the book from start to finish. As I’m reading, I put in chapter breaks (I don’t put in chapter breaks as I draft the book.)
During my first read-through I fix easy errors like typos or poor word choice. I make sure there’s variety in my sentence structure, I add strong verbs…I basically work to make the book better on a very basic level.
I also turn on Word’s Track Changes and use their comment feature to make notes to myself. I make comments in the margins character description, setting details, character motivation, etc. That way I can go back and layer in those changes when I’m done reading through the book.
I make a pass for continuity errors, which are very frequent errors of mine, since I write in short chunks of time without looking at the previous day’s writing. During this pass, I’ll also make sure my scene transitions are smooth and that story elements are consistent.
This time I’m also going to make a special pass for echoes—unintentional word repetition. I always do a search for my favorite overused words/crutch words (just, nodded, sighed), but this will be a new pass for a related area since my last manuscript had a lot of echoes in it.
I’ll make a pass for pace (this includes looking for conflict) and strong characterization. Is the story moving along at a fast enough clip? Are there boring parts? Do my characters pop? Are there weak characters who need additional fluffing up? I’ll also eliminate some of my weak word choices (little, very, so, really, some, seem, maybe) and some filter words (to provide a deeper POV).
Because the timeline is so crucial to mysteries, I’ll have a pass where I chart out suspect timelines and make sure my sleuth knew what she knew when she knew it. While I’m doing this, I make sure the solution makes sense and there were enough clues for the reader to reach the same conclusion my sleuth did. I also look for any potential plot holes during this timeline pass.
I go through and address the problems/issues that I found.
Then I read it through again to get the big picture view. And I make sure the subplots and main plot wrap up at the end. When I find more problems, I address those as I go.
Then usually I’ll read it through again, quickly, and frequently aloud. And I make the corrections that my first reader (thanks, Mama) finds. And read it through again (yes, by this time I’m heartily sick of the book).
I can do this all in about a week. It’s a different process than the creative process, so I can write at the same time and not feel any sense of burnout.
Then I immediately hand it all over to qualified professionals. :) In the case of my Memphis Barbeque mysteries and my Southern Quilting mysteries, the manuscript goes right to my managing editor. Then it goes to various copyeditors and proofreaders. In the case of my Myrtle Clover mysteries, I hire freelance editors to take a good, hard, critical look at my books. I’ve got a free directory of freelance editors here.
What’s your editing process like? What types of things are you looking out for?
Wow, you must do a great first draft. For me, I let it simmer for a while, to be honest. I’m in the ‘brew’ stage for my fantasy novel right now and I absolutely must sort of fill any questions that may remain out in my head before I head to the draft.
My next stage after that is to develop the history of the fantasy world a bit more (usually I don’t need to do this, it’s just necessary for this particular novel).
But putting those aside, I usually go through it once and I check out if any fixes need to go into the characters, plot, dialogue, description, point of view, action scenes, non-action scenes, and go through the book considering each of those one at a time.
I’m so impressed by your process though! It’s so thought out! :)
Hi Elizabeth – wow .. this will be so helpful to so many .. and is such a thorough summary – cheers Hilary
I’m slow at editing. I need to learn to move more quickly. I have learned to do specific passes for specific ideas and this helps a lot! :)
Nicole–My 1st drafts were always disasters, but I think now I’ve kind of fallen into a rhythm with them. So they’re not too bad.
With fantasy, of course, there’s that whole worldbuilding element to it! That’s an amazing part of the process. Not to say that we’re all not doing some worldbuilding, but it’s on a MUCH smaller scale with other genres. Your process sounds very organized!
Hilary–Thanks! And thanks so much for coming by. :)
I like hearing about authors’ editing processes! Your way seems very effective, Elizabeth. I like to let my work sit for a little before I start revising. I use different colored pens or markers and designate each color for something, like green for grammar, purple for plot, orange for characters, etc. I look for the same things you do, especially those echo words! I tend to use the same adverbs over and over, heehee. Thank goodness for the revision process! ;)
Laura–Letting it sit has got to be one of the best ways to see it with fresh eyes. I wish I had the time to be able to do that! I like your method for using different pens for different things. :) I could probably do that in Track Changes, too–with different colored “highlighters.”
I’m not that fast, but I edit in a similar fashion. Everyone says to ignore typos and small things on the first passes, but I have to fix those, even if I later eliminate the whole sentence. They are just too distracting. (And I am easily distracted.)
I’m notorious for echoes, so that step is always critical for me. Editing is where I end up adding a lot of details and description since I write so bare-bones.
I’m amazed at your speed. I basically do what you do, except in reverse order. And it takes me a much longer time to accomplish it.
I love hearing about different people’s editing/writing processes too!
One thing I found was useful in editing my last manuscript is I kept a separate document that noted changes of things I didn’t want to change right at that moment, but were bugging me and I was afraid I would forget. I write really sloppy first drafts and I’m punchy by the end and I found this really helps. That way I could tell at a glance how much work I had left w/out skimming through the whole manuscript again.
It was just a simple list under each chapter for example
Chapter 1
Introduce character B earlier
Add another medical scene
Chapter 2
Strengthen character A’s motivation,
etc. etc.
Diane–Oh, me too. It drives me nuts to see typos and not fix them.
Alex–Me too. I just have to add the descriptive stuff later.
Jemi–Those passes make it a lot easier, don’t they?
Jill–Sometimes I’d rather knock out the easy fixes first and then work on the morre complicated stuff, too.
I’m like you—if I can briefly acknowledge that I know an area needs work, I can move on. I sometimes even put “fix this” in the margins. :)
Carol–You’ll get faster as you go along, I bet!
These are great filters to pass revisions through. Thanks.
This is great – so interesting. Like you I do the small things first and then get to the big stuff – but it takes me way longer. I figure that since I don’t outline my first draft is really a dog’s breakfast – I think after this last edit on True that I’ll be faster when I revise The Rock Walker. Not sure why but think I FINALLY got it. Who knows! I use a Word Cloud program to get at my echoes. I have an editor who goes through it at one point – but I still revise after she’s done her stuff. I really like revising.