How To Rewrite and Edit Your Own Writing
A Writing Skill You
Must Have!
Every writer has to rewrite and edit their own work. It's just the
nature of the beast. The first draft of a chapter or a book is just
that, the first draft. Even writers with dozens of books under their
belt must rewrite and edit.
The problem with editing your own work is you know it so well. After
all, you've written it, making it difficult to spot errors,
inconsistencies, awkwardness, redundancies and vagueness.
Here are some tips and how tos that should make it easier:
-
Edit in small chunks. Yes, you'll need to go through
your manuscript more than once so the first time it often works best
to edit chapter by chapter.
-
Put the chapter aside for at least 24 hours - several
days is better. You will see it with fresher eyes. In the meantime,
keep working on the rest of the book. Another approach is to write
during the workweek and do your editing over the weekend.
-
Print the chapter, move away from the computer,
and read it out loud with pen in hand. Reading out loud feels silly
and embarrassing at first, but it works because it slows you
down so it's easier to spot errors; your ear will also pick up
things that need to be changed.
-
Read the manuscript backwards, from the last word to
the first. If it's too long to do this efficiently, read difficult
passages backwards. This trick is best used toward the end of the
project as a way to proofread.
-
When you think your book is finished, put it away for
at least a week or two, or even a month. Print it out, and read it
word by word pretending you've never seen it before.
-
Ask someone else to read it. Make it clear you only
want them to spot spelling errors and totally unclear sentences, not
their opinion or editing. This can be tricky and it often makes
sense to hire a professional at this point.
Of course you want to put your best work forward. Be on
guard, however, that you don't stay in editing and rewriting mode so
long you never finish your book.
It's a balancing act and it may help to realize that
perfection is a null concept. Even if it isn't, none of us has any way
of recognizing perfection. The truth is, while there is no piece of
writing that can't be improved, your goal is to finish your book in a
reasonable fashion.
Write well and often!
