Editing

[shadowkat]

Hmmm...wish I knew about this approach earlier... Line Editing 101 - or Proof that I am a Masochist.

So, what is a line edit? First, when I line edit, I start at the end; at the very last sentence. The reason for this is I know what I’ve written. Could probably recite it in my sleep. So, if I begin at the start of the story, my brain falls into the rhythm of what I’ve already read more times than I care to count, and it ignores mistakes. My brain knows what should come next, so that’s what it often sees, even if that's not what's on the page. Starting with the last line of the story and working backward enables me to see the words and the punctuation clearly.

One sentence at a time, I search for grammar and syntax errors (I’ll get into this in more detail in a future article), rogue commas, run-on sentences, sentence and vocabulary variety, etc. By going one line at a time, in reverse, my brain can more easily address each sentence on its own. It doesn't see anything that isn't there.

Next, I make a list. I’m not even going to pretend this is fun. It’s tedious and I hate it, but I do it anyway. I note words that I repeat (and you do notice them while reading in reverse), unusual word choices, words I may have misused, and so on. I also note the pages these words appear on (easier to find later). I also make a list of characters. On this list I include names, descriptions and any other distinctive details about that character. Doesn’t matter how minor or if the character is only mentioned in passing. Sometimes I do this during outlining, and then I go back and check my info later, but most of the time, I leave this to the line editing stage.

But we’re not done with the lists yet. After I make those lists, I begin another with places, dates, times, addresses, mentions of products, such as vehicles, foods, etc., foreign languages, actual historical events/details, and anything else I may have messed up during my research stage, so I can fact check once I’ve finished editing. For example, I had a kid wearing Spider Man pajamas in a time period when such pajamas did not exist (my story took place a couple years before they were available). Crazy, right? I also changed the name of the place I set my story in THREE TIMES in another manuscript. How does that even happen?

Now, when you’re done, you’ll have caught most mistakes (or should have) and you’ll have these pages of lists that you probably want to burn. Don't do that yet. Using those lists, I correct issues with character names, such as different spellings (Once I named a guy Carl at the start and started calling him Joe half-way through. I know. WTF, right?) You might find you cited little Martha as 12 years old on page 8, and then suddenly, she’s 16 on page 200, but only a year has passed in the plot. I mean, get it together! You might also find you’ve used the word “just” 2066 times. That’s just a little ridiculous. So you’ll have to go back through and delete about 2060 of those. (Use the “find” feature in Word or whatever writing software you use to quickly annihilate such heinous mistakes.)

It's not that I don't do a line edit -- I do, and I hire people to do it. But I do it differently.
I do it as I'm writing the thing. In stages. Such as I get stuck. I stop. And line edit the part I've already written. The problem with doing it my way -- is by the time I've finished, the first half has been edited to death, but the last half...well, it really really wasn't. I will revise when the thing is over and done with and edit again. I tend to edit and revise about five or six times. And rewrite.
I'm a bit of a perfectionist. And I tend to see all the errors. This post? I edit as I write it. My eyes scan back and forth over the sentence as I'm writing. If I miss an error? And see it later? It will drive me crazy. This happens a lot at work -- I'll revise a letter five times, send it out, and I got the damn date wrong. It's particularly bad when I'm writing fast or doing more than one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is the devil that corrupts the details.

Comments

[cactuswatcher]

1. Starting backwards probably wouldn't work for me since it is the freshest in my mind. I can't deny it would break up the flow. But normally, the longer since I've seen it the more likely I can correct it.

2. I rarely make grammar mistakes except intentionally so that stage is useless for me. Typos, stray commas and phonetic blunders like 'it's for its,' 'there for their and they're'... They're an endless battle.

3. I always try hard to get the right word or phase the first time. If my brain stumbles over something in proof reading I know it has to be changed.

4. I make a list at least of the major characters and what they are like before I get very far into writing. Then I add on minor characters as necessary. It fills in the time when writing block strikes, and helps get me going again. I learned that long ago.

5. I'm very good about not writing any details in that I haven't checked, including checking back a few chapters for things I've written myself. I get 'em right the first time and then don't worry.

6. I will see it very quickly during proof reading if I have a continuity error. This is why it bugs me so much to see continuity errors in professionally done works. And the overworked word? Oh yeah. Sometimes I just hate words like 'very,' 'just,' 'suddenly,' 'but,' and so on. I often use a turn of phase in the evening as I quit writing. Then start off the next day with the same stupid phrasing. This is why I got in the habit of always reading the most recent few paragraphs, before wrting anything new. There is nothing you can do but reread for things like these.

7. I continually edit, and never seem to see everything! I absolutely cannot edit as I write. I have to reread posts and replies for errors after posting, because I literally can't see them till it's too late. I was better at correcting my student's papers, but as I told them when going over their tests in class, if I missed something in grading and it was to their benefit, they should just consider themselves lucky!

[shadowkat]

I'm better at seeing the mistakes in others writing than my own sometimes. Different process, I think.

I don't tend to make as many grammatical errors as I'm writing except for the items that are a constant battle. (I do at times inadvertently put in the wrong word. Sort of like a mind-fart -- I think. Like right now, I almost put "value" instead of "battle" -- which is why I tend to re-read the sentence after I write it. I do it speaking as well. My mother and brother do the same thing -- so this is clearly part of the genetic visual/auditory coordination quirk that I inherited, which also appears to be associated with the tremor. Same part of the brain affected.) Items that are the constant battle? Rogue commas, and the other items you mentioned.

I will got out of my way not to repeat the same phrase in the next sentence of paragraph. Or the same word. And get annoyed when others do -- because I go out of my way at times to avoid it.

I agree -- I'd have issues starting back to front, because the back would be the most recent in my head. And I also tend to start listing characters as I go.
Although I'm that organized as a writer. But I do go back and hunt the name of the character -- if I've forgotten it. (Did that recently.)

Read once, I think it was either Stephen King, Dean Koontz or Elmore Leonard, that every writer's process, editing and otherwise, is unique to that writer. And to do what works best. Leonard outlined everything. King doesn't. GRR Martin - plotted it out for the most part, but just wrote intuitively. James Joyce put things on post-it notes and scrapes of paper and scattered it about on his floor in diagrams (which probably explains a lot of his writing come to think of it.)
I read fresne sort of does the same thing.

I tend to write more like Stephen King and Martin...LOL!