Revising and editing ...

mr ploppy · 12-09-2011, 05:19 PM

... has to be the most boring part. Your head is full of all these ideas for new things you want to write, but you have to spend all your writing time reading stuff you wrote months ago for the hundredth time. Short stories aren't so bad, but for anything longer I can see the appeal of farming it out to a co-writer to do.

G J Lau · 12-09-2011, 05:50 PM

We all go at writing differently, but I disagree completely with the idea that rewriting and editing are boring. Rewriting and polishing and yes, even editing, is so rewarding when you see the story improve with each tweak, and I totally believe it is essential to producing anything even near your best work. In my humble opinion, of course. First cut may be the deepest, but it should not be the final cut. And farming it out? Works for James Patterson I guess, but then he can afford to. LOL

VydorScope · 12-09-2011, 06:20 PM

I personally make a few zillion passes over my book, make it PERFECT and ERROR free, then hand to my editor who I think is putting errors in just so that she can find something to fix!

I dont mind the editing/revising ... I despise the MARKETING. Ugh!! I just lost an hour trying to find a review site that is CURRENTLY taking spec fic and does not have a multi-year back log. Still not found one, and think my head gonna explode from some of their page designs. Wow. I would happily pay some one to do this for me!

Steve Robinson · 12-10-2011, 05:15 AM

Editing is the best part of the process for me. The story is down and you're feeling good. The hard work is behind you and you can start looking forward to publication at last. I can't wait to start editing my sequel; it's really something to look forward to. But I've got to write it first.

mr ploppy · 12-10-2011, 07:20 AM

I rewrite as I go along, so at this stage it's just changing a few words if they've been overused, or re-wording the odd sentence if it gets a bit too long. Unless I decide to add or expand on a scene there isn't really much "creative" work at all.

JeremyR · 12-10-2011, 10:37 PM

I'm with you, I'd much, much rather write new stuff than edit old stuff.

But then again, as far as I am concerned, the story already exists, more or less fixed in my head. I just write it down. So my perception of the story can't change much, since I already have it visualized.

Sure as I write it down, things change from how I pictured it (indeed, things often look a lot different as you write it down). But it's hard to go back once it's written. So editing is catching typos and such than improving on the story.

anamardoll · 12-10-2011, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

... has to be the most boring part. Your head is full of all these ideas for new things you want to write, but you have to spend all your writing time reading stuff you wrote months ago for the hundredth time. Short stories aren't so bad, but for anything longer I can see the appeal of farming it out to a co-writer to do.

I feel your pain. I'm on the last major edit of my book before the final stages and I just keep having huge motivation slumps. It's really frustrating.

Mel Comley · 12-13-2011, 09:28 AM

Yep, I agree with Steve the hard part is creating your characters and thinking up a plausible plotline. Love editing as it should just be about striving to make your work 70-80% better! ;-)

Suzanna · 12-13-2011, 01:37 PM

I'm a "love writing it, hate editing it" person. I usually love the outcome of editing, how a scene turns out after it's been polished, but it's hard for me to sit down and start working on edits because the knowledge that I now have to make the book *perfect* overwhelms me.

Unfortunately, I can't submit until I edit. I have to stop writing new stories and complete edits on the old stuff so I can start submitting it!

Harper Kingsley · 12-13-2011, 05:38 PM

The writing part always seems to flow for me, then the editing is like someone's tied bricks to my shoes during a marathon... so lame and boring.

Plus, I'm terrible at remembering what I wrote. It's like I'm reading the story as I write it, which is great because I'm super entertained. Then when I have to re-read through, there's all this stuff that I don't remember even happening. But at least everything ties into the story, which is good.

Still, editing is one of those horrible things everyone has to do. And even if you do the best job possible, then have 20 different people check it over... at some point you're going to be looking at your ebook or whatever and it'll be like "Oh darn it!" because there will be a gigantic typo or something staring back at you, laughing mockingly. It's just one of those things.

Nancy Fulda · 12-16-2011, 06:05 PM

I like both. And hate both. Often several times within the same day.

jrlewis · 12-26-2011, 02:48 PM

Editing shouldn't be so painful. Assuming that your first draft is pretty good, the editing process is just about correcting errors and polishing prose. It should only take a fraction of the time compared to drafting the manuscript. And you get the satisfaction of re-discovering your story and seeing it become even better, all while knowing that you're getting closer to publication.

Eisengoth · 12-27-2011, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrlewis

Assuming that your first draft is pretty good...

...and if it's not, you probably want to go back and do a full 100% rewrite anyway, which is much more like writing something new than editing!

SerenaFairfax · 12-28-2011, 11:50 AM

It's murdering your darlings!
Or put another way: spare the rod and spoil the book.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 12-28-2011, 12:03 PM

I don't mind the editing part at all. It often allows me to re-evaluate passages and pacing, and make changes that really improve the overall presentation.

I've also been able to add scenes that maybe I decided initially to leave out, in order to clarify a point, fill out a narrative or add dimension to a character. I've redone three of my novels thusly, and they've all come out better for it.

It's also something I can do when I don't have or want a new novel to work on at the moment.

12-09-2011, 05:19 PM	#1
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Revising and editing ... ... has to be the most boring part. Your head is full of all these ideas for new things you want to write, but you have to spend all your writing time reading stuff you wrote months ago for the hundredth time. Short stories aren't so bad, but for anything longer I can see the appeal of farming it out to a co-writer to do.

12-28-2011, 11:50 AM	#14
SerenaFairfax Book Author Posts: 22 Karma: 577620 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Ipad	Revising and editing It's murdering your darlings! Or put another way: spare the rod and spoil the book.

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12-09-2011, 05:50 PM	#2
G J Lau Zealot Posts: 126 Karma: 415116 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Frederick MD Device: Nook	We all go at writing differently, but I disagree completely with the idea that rewriting and editing are boring. Rewriting and polishing and yes, even editing, is so rewarding when you see the story improve with each tweak, and I totally believe it is essential to producing anything even near your best work. In my humble opinion, of course. First cut may be the deepest, but it should not be the final cut. And farming it out? Works for James Patterson I guess, but then he can afford to. LOL

12-09-2011, 06:20 PM	#3
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	I personally make a few zillion passes over my book, make it PERFECT and ERROR free, then hand to my editor who I think is putting errors in just so that she can find something to fix! I dont mind the editing/revising ... I despise the MARKETING. Ugh!! I just lost an hour trying to find a review site that is CURRENTLY taking spec fic and does not have a multi-year back log. Still not found one, and think my head gonna explode from some of their page designs. Wow. I would happily pay some one to do this for me!

12-10-2011, 05:15 AM	#4
Steve Robinson Crime Fiction Writer Posts: 12 Karma: 64518 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: none	Editing is the best part of the process for me. The story is down and you're feeling good. The hard work is behind you and you can start looking forward to publication at last. I can't wait to start editing my sequel; it's really something to look forward to. But I've got to write it first.

12-10-2011, 07:20 AM	#5
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	I rewrite as I go along, so at this stage it's just changing a few words if they've been overused, or re-wording the odd sentence if it gets a bit too long. Unless I decide to add or expand on a scene there isn't really much "creative" work at all.

12-10-2011, 10:37 PM	#6
JeremyR Guru Posts: 973 Karma: 2458402 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: St. Louis Device: Kindle Keyboard, Nook HD+	I'm with you, I'd much, much rather write new stuff than edit old stuff. But then again, as far as I am concerned, the story already exists, more or less fixed in my head. I just write it down. So my perception of the story can't change much, since I already have it visualized. Sure as I write it down, things change from how I pictured it (indeed, things often look a lot different as you write it down). But it's hard to go back once it's written. So editing is catching typos and such than improving on the story.

12-13-2011, 09:28 AM	#8
Mel Comley Addict Posts: 318 Karma: 602031 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: France Device: none	Yep, I agree with Steve the hard part is creating your characters and thinking up a plausible plotline. Love editing as it should just be about striving to make your work 70-80% better! ;-)

12-13-2011, 01:37 PM	#9
Suzanna Living in the past Posts: 432 Karma: 6011289 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kobo Arc	I'm a "love writing it, hate editing it" person. I usually love the outcome of editing, how a scene turns out after it's been polished, but it's hard for me to sit down and start working on edits because the knowledge that I now have to make the book perfect overwhelms me. Unfortunately, I can't submit until I edit. I have to stop writing new stories and complete edits on the old stuff so I can start submitting it!

12-13-2011, 05:38 PM	#10
Harper Kingsley Clone Trooper Posts: 212 Karma: 4566103 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Washington Device: kindle	The writing part always seems to flow for me, then the editing is like someone's tied bricks to my shoes during a marathon... so lame and boring. Plus, I'm terrible at remembering what I wrote. It's like I'm reading the story as I write it, which is great because I'm super entertained. Then when I have to re-read through, there's all this stuff that I don't remember even happening. But at least everything ties into the story, which is good. Still, editing is one of those horrible things everyone has to do. And even if you do the best job possible, then have 20 different people check it over... at some point you're going to be looking at your ebook or whatever and it'll be like "Oh darn it!" because there will be a gigantic typo or something staring back at you, laughing mockingly. It's just one of those things.

12-16-2011, 06:05 PM	#11
Nancy Fulda I write stories. Posts: 700 Karma: 16437432 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Northern Germany Device: kindle	I like both. And hate both. Often several times within the same day.

12-26-2011, 02:48 PM	#12
jrlewis SF/F Author Posts: 160 Karma: 349656 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: USA Device: Adobe Digital Editions	Editing shouldn't be so painful. Assuming that your first draft is pretty good, the editing process is just about correcting errors and polishing prose. It should only take a fraction of the time compared to drafting the manuscript. And you get the satisfaction of re-discovering your story and seeing it become even better, all while knowing that you're getting closer to publication.

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12-28-2011, 12:03 PM	#15
Steven Lyle Jordan Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,478 Karma: 5171130 Join Date: Jan 2006 Device: none	I don't mind the editing part at all. It often allows me to re-evaluate passages and pacing, and make changes that really improve the overall presentation. I've also been able to add scenes that maybe I decided initially to leave out, in order to clarify a point, fill out a narrative or add dimension to a character. I've redone three of my novels thusly, and they've all come out better for it. It's also something I can do when I don't have or want a new novel to work on at the moment.