Dec
Changing a Diaper…aka…Editing the crap out of your manuscript
So I’m a stay at home mom, I chose the analogy of changing a diaper to editing. It’s not my most favorite job, but one that has to get done, and once done everyone is much happier.
You could make up your own analogy, like scooping poo or cleaning toilets. It adds a little humor to it…
As some of you may know from my post on Sunday, I recently received a request for a full manuscript from an editor. Well needless to say I was bouncing off the walls, until I sat down and realized, even though I had edited my manuscript before, I needed to do a once over to make sure that it was everything it could be. Your first impression is your only impression, before it hits the rejection pile. Okay that was a little negative, but I’m not getting my hopes up in case it is rejected, then I won’t be disappointed. Let’s just say if it gets accepted I will not only bounce off the walls, I will bounce right through them!
So edits, edits, edits…. Now granted the editor did like my synopsis, but that is only the plot of my work, would she like how I actually told the story? Remember when editing don’t take the soul out of your work. The soul and emotion will grab the reader and never let go.
Here is what I do to edit:
- 1. Spell check, you don’t want to turn it in with a misspelled word!!! Take the grammar check with a grain of salt. I use fragment sentences a lot to add tension, drama, emotion, to my work and my computer hates me for it.
- 2. I do a find search for the following: had, that, ly, ing, ed
Sounds tedious I know, but a lot of times when you are actually reading you don’t notice the things that others do, and doing a find search of the above helps in the following ways.
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- a.Had: this is a huge filler word and often times you will find that you don’t need it. I find it a lot of times before an “ed” word, and it really negates the “ed” word.
- b. That: this is my worst nightmare. I put that everywhere, when you take them out you find that, you can really tighten up that manuscript and not distract you reader from all that crap….hehehe
- c. ly, ing, ed: this will show you a lot of your adjectives, verbs, etc… and you can make sure you have used a varied amount instead the same ones over and over and over and over and, okay I’ll stop.
- 3. Then I do a read through one more time, trying to do it slowly so I can catch each word and see that it makes sense.
You may find some things you want to change, and you may not. You may actually say to yourself that you did a good job. You may change a lot of things. No matter what you do though, remember that the editor took notice and WANTS to read it, so don’t change the whole thing around.
What are some things that you do to edit a manuscript?
Readers, have you ever read a book that felt like it had been edited to death, and there was no soul left? I know I have…
Happy Wednesday!
Eliza
I turn off the ‘grammar check’. Saves time and energy avoiding the errors it picks up.
December 19th, 2007 at 7:10 amI kind of just slap stuff down when I write, so my first drafts are really terrible. That also means I have a lot of editing to do when the time comes, and boy do I hate it! I dont have any tricks, sort of what you do. Thanks for the “had” heads up, I’ll have to start checking for that word. But when you are editing and you smooth out a sentence to near perfection (and wonder how the heck you did that) its all worth it!
December 19th, 2007 at 8:54 amI’m smack in the middle of editing one of my books (for myself and not for an editor… yet), and I was having problems with the middle section. Sometimes you only have to do a little cosmetic surgery, and sometimes it’s a full-blown operation. This was like removing a bad kidney, and now I have to do a transplant. Last night I scrapped 18K words and started over on that part. It’ll be better, stronger, faster… The Bionic Manuscript! LOL
December 19th, 2007 at 10:23 amHey Eliza,
Another great blog topic and a very important one. I like your tips about looking for the ly, ed, and ing words to check your verb variation. I hadn’t thought of that.
I’m in the middle of editing my first completed manuscript…very exciting! But it also feels overwhelming. Here I have 400 pages to search through and try to finness.
When I’m writing I always turn off spell check (rarely use grammar check). I find that when I’m in the middle of a great sentence or emotional scene and that little squiggly red line pops up it completely throws me off. Of course, once I’m done with the scene I turn it back on to see it bleeding with red squiggles that I have to go back and fix. :o)
Thanks for the great suggestions for editing!
December 19th, 2007 at 11:08 amHappy Holidays
Jennifer :o)
Hi Eliza~
December 19th, 2007 at 12:30 pmThis is a great subject. I generally do all the above, but I also look to make sure I haven’t said the same thing three different ways.
Wow! Everyone has such excellent advice on this topic. Thanks for a few added bullets to my arsenol.
I think sometimes I spend more time editing than I do writing…
Eliza
December 19th, 2007 at 12:43 pmWonderful topic, Eliza! I just finished editing and re-editing a manuscript. I look for the things you mentioned along with about 30 more weak or sometimes unnecessary words like “just”. I just love just.
I look for repetition or any unnecessary info and cut those. I look for “telling” and try to replace it with “showing.”
December 19th, 2007 at 3:10 pm