This blog entry has been hard to write because I really think editing is a pain. I honestly don’t like to do it. I love to write stories and just leave them alone. But the truth is I don’t write so perfectly that my work can be submitted without editing. (If there is anyone out there who does, I don’t want to hear about it.)
So the problem is to find a way to talk myself into editing. Aha – I know the answer – make it a game. Here are a few ideas.
• Make award certificates for the most “weasel words” found in the first draft.
• Combine deleted words into silly sentences and try them out on friends.
• Stand on a soapbox and shout out the story to pets in the back yard.
• Insert funny faces next to all those “I can’t believe I actually did that” errors. (Just be sure to correct the errors and take out the funny faces for the final manuscript because an agent or editor might not see the humor.)
I’m open to other ideas to make editing fun.
Seriously, I salute all those who love to edit and I applaud your skill and dedication because editing is a critical skill for all who want to get published. I just wish I enjoyed it as much as I do writing.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
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2 comments:
Recently, I had a piece that I over edited. I ended up going back to the original and doing a lighter edit.
Thanks for the great tips, Chris.
Loovely blog you have
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