Today’s post is written by Mercia Dragonslayer, a semi-finalist in the Write It Sideways regular contributor search. Thanks, Mercia!
With November (National Novel Writing Month) well behind us, thousands of writers are wondering what, exactly, they want to do with their novel.
Some may order a proof copy from a self-publishing company and proudly show it to all their friends. Others may simple post it online, or keep it for private enjoyment. There is always a small crowd that decides to bury it in the closet, never to see the light of day again.
The final option is to edit, edit, edit.
The editing process is painful and difficult. It can be likened to tearing stubbing one’s toe or breaking a fingernail—there’s the big ouch moment before the torment recedes. The light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, is the beautiful, finished product. Even with this reward in mind, writers have a strange reluctance to revise.
As a reluctant reviser, I use the following seven steps to tame my NaNoWriMo manuscript monster:
1. Finish the novel.
Some people edit as they write, but I find that continually editing kills my love for the story. If this works for you, great! If not, and you are easily distracted, concentrate on finishing the novel. This is the very first step. Once you are finished with this, label it Draft I.
Tech tip: I name each chapter file by draft. The first draft of Chapter One, for instance, might be “Chapter 1 FD.” The second draft would have the suffix SD, then TD, then 4D, then 5D, etc. This way, I can keep all of my files separate and I always know what goes with what.
2. Print it and forget it for a few weeks.
I realize that some people may not have the option to print the entire manuscript, but this is the best way to edit. Words appear differently on the computer screen than on paper. It’s also a lot easier on the eyes than staring at a computer screen all day.
If you wrote the novel by hand: I recommend keeping the paper on which you wrote it as your “printed copy.”
Waiting several weeks (or months) distances you mentally and emotionally from your novel. That way, you see what you really wrote instead of what you meant to write.
3. Make corrections on the paper.
Corrections come in three different types:
- Big Rearrangements: If there are scenes to cut or scenes to add, now is the time to do it. That’s not to say you can’t rearrange in a later draft, but it’s better to decide to take out the Thanksgiving Feast before you spend twenty minutes perfecting the description of the turkey coming out of the oven.
- Small Rearrangements: This paragraph belongs better here, and that section could be deleted entirely–that sort of thing. Don’t bother with these corrections unless you’ve already deleted the scenes you want to delete, or your work could be wasted.
- Consistency Check: Billy Joe Bob is actually named Willy Rob Joe on page 13, and Miss Outlaw uses both meters and yards to describe her archery distances. Reading over the draft to check for consistency is the best way to make sure story elements remain the same throughout the novel.
4. Look for honest feedback.
Find a willing, helpful friend who’s willing to read an awful first draft. The best beta readers are close friends who don’t care about hurting your feelings or complete strangers who also don’t care. An objective point of view finds the plot holes you can’t.
5. Make more corrections.
Take your beta’s suggestions and implement them if you think they help the story. Ultimately, it’s up to you to pick and choose. Then re-read the manuscript aloud, looking for places where the dialogue sounds stilted and stiff.
6. Type up the novel from scratch, using your printed draft & corrections.
If there are any new scenes to add or scenes to take away, now’s the time to implement those changes. Any grammar or spelling you happen to catch can be fixed here, too.
7. Find a proof-reader.
No matter how often a writer reads over her manuscript, a professional proof-reader (or Grammar Nazi parent/friend, if available) will edit more efficiently. Find a free editor lying about? Great! Take advantage of that! If not, it’s a good idea to make some effort to proof read your own novel (no one wants to read even a great story were gramer annd speling r reali bud).
Now, supposedly, at this point the novel could be done. However, since we all know that’s not the case, so I usually keep fiddling around with my own work until I think it’s finished.
As Michael Crichton says, “Books aren’t written–they’re rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it.”
Editor’s Note: How are you revising your NaNoWriMo manuscript? Are there any vital steps you think should be added to this list?
Mercia Dragonslayer blogs on Slaying Dragons when she has something fun or crazy to say. In 2010, she was published in The Young Writer’s Magazine. She lives in North Carolina with her family and two cats.
The sheer volume of submissions to a publisher of manuscripts makes it likely that this will not be the only time this will happen to you. Be sure you have several backups of manuscripts. I keep one on a CD, one on my computer, one on an external drive and my hard drive is backed up online as well. I operate on the ‘one to use, one to lose, one to file’ plan. This way if my CD is out on my desk, or I didn’t file it the right place after having it out, I still have several other places to find it quickly and easily. I also always keep copies in my safe deposit box with my will and stuff. Just another backup system. I simply presume anything I send out may not come back in the form I sent it. Paper is so easy to misplace and many editors will ask for electronic copies too. Also it’s possible that this means it was given to more than one person to read which can only be good. Best of luck to you.
Oh goodness, yes! I always have multiple copies of all my stories. I back them up on the internet (Dropbox, Evernote, or something similar), email them to myself, store them on both the computer and a flashdrive, and print each draft when I’m done. I’ve lost five or six novel-length stories because my first computer crashed–NOT a good scenario!
Good luck with your writing as well!
What an excellent list. Good for anybody who has just finished a first draft. Especially the part about letting it sit for a few weeks.
Thanks! I’m so glad I was helpful 🙂
Mercia
I love the idea of typing the novel up from scratch. This suggestion come up frequently in my graduate workshop, but for short stories. It seems that stories are almost always improved the second time around, and I can see this as being particularly true about NaNoWriMo manuscripts. After the first time around when everything is very organic and quick, the second time through is bound to be more focused and direct. Great Post!
Thanks! I’ve never done it with short stories (I tend to write them, edit, and forget!), but it seems absolutely brilliant! Good luck!
Mercia
Great ideas! One more: don’t be too defensive when an editor (of any variety) offers constructive criticism :-).
Of course! (I suppose that applies to mothers too, doesn’t it? XD)
Mercia
i think I’m going to have to make sure I have this list available for when i do my massive edit on my current trilogy. So if book 1 needs major work (being the oldest by far of the three) do I do that before I massage all three books into one ‘continuous’ tale? it certainly feels like a Rearrangement, especially since I have the sneeky suspicion I’m going to be adding a LOT to it. *groan and grin*
:} Cathryn
Hiya!
Well, I would definitely edit all three for one continuous plotline, and then consistency. Those are incredibly important in a series–anything else comes second. Then, rearrangement of major scenes might be next, or you could do that before you check consistency. Either way, Big Stuff goes first. Then Little Stuff!
Good luck! 🙂
Mercia
Letting it sit is, for me, the most crucial thing. All sorts of things come up when I give it a rest, glaring things that I’d missed. Plus, the story gets a chance to settle in my head as well–as a pantster, I tell the story to myself first, so a bit of a digestive nap, so to speak, comes in very handy if it’s ever going to be ready for the public eye.
I finished NaNo with just over 50K words, which is about halfway through the novel. I should finish it, I know, but I’m polishing my first novel for querying in 2012, so that’s kept me busy. Once that one is deemed “finished” or whatever comes close, I’ll come back to the NaNo one.
Thanks for these great guidelines!
I agree–my creative writing teacher in high school always told us three weeks was best, but months were better. Interesting to see how he’s pretty much hit it on the spot!
Congratulations on your novel! I wish you the best of luck in the publishing industry this year!. 🙂
Mercia
Excellent suggestions, Mercia!
I’ve run across the “Print it and forget it” tip before where it’s been called “Ice-Boxing.” Put it in the mental “ice box” where things can cool down (both the manuscript and your emotional involvement with it). Returning to the manuscript a few weeks later with “new” eyes and a more analytical perspective can help reveal what stays, what needs to go, and what needs a re-write.
For “Finish the novel,” and the saving of different draft manuscripts, I actually prefer dates (e.g., “Chapter 1 12_19_2011) instead of the “Chapter 1 FD” tags; there’s no telling when the re-write bug will bite and I’ll want to go in and do some fixes. There are some writing/word processing programs that will automatically provide a date tag.
Thanks for the great ideas! Our writing group is working up a “finishing” critique for our long form members, and these suggestions are excellent for this type of get-together.
Oh, wow! I love the “Ice Box” analogy. It totally fits.
As far as file naming… Sometimes I wish I’d labeled with dates instead of “FD” and “SD.” I’ve run across some drafts of several documents and couldn’t remember which one was which, even after I opened it!
I’m so glad you’ll be able to use this article! Thanks!
Mercia
Great list! I also find that printing a manuscript is essential for editing. I don’t know why, but I definitely do a better job with that hard copy. One additional editing tactic I sometimes use is reading aloud. Of course it would be hard to do with a whole novel, which I’ve never written, but choosing a few portions to read aloud might be helpful. Like reading a hard copy, hearing the words can give a valuable perspective.
Aha! Reading aloud is something I employ as well. I especially read dialogue aloud–it helps me get the right flow (and accent!). I just better hope there’s no one else about when I’m reading! Hehe.
Mercia.
Again, as I say in all my comments, I love writeitsideways.com! This is terrific NaNoWriMo advice! I love, love, love, LOVE IT! Smiley face if you agree. =)
Hi,
Thank you for all that information, I’ve been wondering for some time now what’s the best way to edit a manuscript. I’m a very keen writer and I simply live writing. I’m only sixteen but I’ve had six short stories published and am writing a young adult fantasy novel, at the moment I’m 20,000 words in! My dad is a published author and has agreed to read and do some editing for me once im into draft 2, which is helpful.
When you write, at one point do you switch your manuscript into the standard manuscrip format?
Thanks.
Hi! That’s great that you’ve had short stories published! 🙂
I generally wait until the very last draft. I always write my manuscripts 12pt Arial double-spaced and indented, because that’s easiest for me to read. But I suppose that varies from person to person.
~Mer
This is almost identical to the to-do list I wrote myself yesterday. 🙂 Very helpful tips!