Have you ever received a package in the mail, one you’ve been expecting for a while? You rip off the tape and pull out the packing…only to find it’s not what you ordered! It’s the wrong size, or a different color, or your name was spelled incorrectly…writing can be like this sometimes! Guaranteed mistakes are a gift we give ourselves during the writing process because our words don’t always turn out how our minds first envisioned. And yet, this surprise is part of the challenge! How can we turn our unexpected moments into something we can be proud of; that other people will connect to on a personal level?
Editing is my least favorite part of writing my novels. I love the first draft, and even rewriting the several drafts after that. During this time I add scenes, develop new mischief for characters, and rearrange plots. But then comes the time when I actually have to settle on the story and begin the editing process, the grammar, spelling, and even character voice. This is the part I dread. Tonight I sat down and actually had to remind myself, “There is a point to this and if I want to get my novel written, I need to get through this.”
…Have I emphasized that I REALLY don’t like editing?
Let me be clear, I had a wonderful English teacher in my growing-up years (thanks, Mom!). I was homeschooled all the way through my senior year of high school and my parents, specifically my mom, were sticklers for all things grammar and communication. I was well-taught and developed a wonderful foundation in daily practices, writing essays and giving speeches. But writing a novel is a different beast because it Never. Seems. To. End. and I’m just now facing that hard reality. This is most likely the number one reason I have written five full drafts of books but never published a novel. I do realize an easy solution would be to pay someone to start a developmental edit on my book (in short, the format and flow) followed by line editing (grammar). But the truth is, I’m not there yet, mentally. Each of these are super important, but for this first novel I’d like to fill in some gaps and develop one of my character’s voices. Through this painstaking process I am finding more about the kinds of novels I want to create. I wrote this particular book, my current work, over the span of a few years and then left it on my computer for another couple of years. My techniques for writing has changed somewhat.
So I plod forward.
This requires reading and re-reading what I’ve written up to this point. One of my favorite ways to tackle this is to divide the work into achievable goals, making sure to complete my particular page number each day. It sounds simple, but really works for me, especially since I have a full-time job. Even though I am no longer working on NaNoWriMo, I am still attempting to approach this writing hurdle in the same way. No matter what it takes, make every attempt to complete the number of pages daily. For this editing procedure I print out my complete manuscript and make corrections by hand. This gives me the freedom to scribble things out and rewrite scenes without feeling like I’m completely scrapping them. My long-term goal on this editing process is to finish the details by the end of December and re-type all my edits. Then, off to a professional editor (or two) before sending out query letters with my updated manuscript! Did I mention that I’ve already completed this process once, a couple of years ago, with the same book? After receiving feedback, I completely revamped the layout of my plot and filled in plot holes, which were numerous.
As I send my manuscript out into the world soon, to be bled on with corrections by the best, I hope it comes out stronger, even if a little torn. My words still mean something and it takes a lot of refinement when I’m creating believable characters and heartfelt scenarios. Sometimes stories don’t turn out how we thought they might. But I like to believe that whatever the outcome, there is someone that needs to hear the story that I attempt to tell.
Like I tell my students, we always try to turn our mistakes into masterpieces!