Editing is something writers either love or hate. Editing leads to revisions. If you’re in love with your words, changing them might be difficult. Even looking at them when you know the result will be changes can be difficult.
At least, I’ve heard that from other writers. For me, I don’t find it to be so. I enjoy the editing process. I like to read what I wrote and see if I can make it better. Most of the time, good editing means cutting words from the document, making it tighter and shorter. Alas, my first editorial pass in anything I’ve written usually increases the words in it. That’s because I realize I haven’t explained something in the plot well, or didn’t touch on a character’s emotions, so I add words. That’s okay, so long as during the second pass through a document I find a way to cut words.
Wednesday evening I began the process of editing Preserve The Revelation. I finished writing it on January 14th. I wanted to pick it up right away and get to editing. But they say the best thing a writer can do is let the book sit for a while. So I let it sit two weeks and three days. I worked on it each of the last two nights, getting through 29 double-spaced pages.
It’s interesting to read what you wrote several months ago. Since I had only a basic plot outline when I started, not a list of each plot element and scenes, the day I started the book I knew how it would end, including the ending conflict, but not how I was going to get there. One of the things I’m editing for is consistency of plot, and whether I have enough references to what might happen in the future. I’m pretty sure I didn’t set up the main conflict well enough. I’m not sure I have enough about the characteristics of all the main characters. This will all have to be added. Then, on another pass, I’ll see about tightening up the text.
Meanwhile, at the office, I spend about half an hour each morning working on a non-fiction book, Thomas Carlyle Chronological Composition Bibliography. I’m past the midpoint of his career, to the point where his works are well known, and the research will be easier. So I’ve shifted my focus a little. Four days I research and add to the text. One day, Friday, I edit. The last two Fridays and today I went through about 20 pages. Today, on my noon hour, I decided to type the edits I have marked. I didn’t quite make it, but I made a significant dent in the typing needed. Since I have no deadline on this book (in fact, I’m not sure I’ll ever publish it), I can take this slowly.
This weekend I hope to edit close to 200 pages in Preserve The Revelation. I don’t know if I’ll make it, but if not I should come close. So long as I don’t get distracted in the times I’ve set aside for that purpose, I should be good.
Why do I enjoy editing so? I’ve helped others to edit their books. I think, if I fail as a writer, I would find it almost as enjoyable being an editor. I guess there’s no understanding why, at times. There just is.