How Editing in Layers Can Make Good Writing Great

by Lori Hatcher

In the 1970’s, inspired by a magazine spread she’d seen, my mother committed an atrocity. She painted my grandmother’s antique maple bedroom furniture white with gold trim. 

Let’s pause for a moment while I compose myself. The memory still hurts my heart.

Years later, I inherited the furniture and set about to restore it to its former beauty.

In my ignorance, I assumed I could pour some paint remover on it and watch the ugly paint bubble up and slide off.

Are you laughing yet?

Instead, I wound up using chemicals, a sander, a heat gun, tiny tools, and lots and lots of muscle to remove the layers of paint that obscured the wood. Every layer I scraped, melted, sanded or picked off brought me closer to the beauty of the original piece, but it didn’t happen quickly. Or easily. 

Editing is a lot like furniture refinishing. 

If we attempt to edit a piece, especially a lengthy piece like a long article or a book manuscript in one fell swoop, we’re going to miss things. Things we’ll wish we’d smoothed out, rearranged, tweaked, or removed.

When I edit my clients’ or my own work, I edit in layers. I make several passes through a document looking for different things. I hope my checklist will help you consider the many layers of your work as you self-edit.

7 Editing Layers to Take Writing from Good to Great 

Layer #1 (a big one): Content 

Does your manuscript contain everything it needs to thoroughly address the topic, story line, or premise?

Layer #2 (another big one): Flow and Structure

Have you presented the story or content in an easy to follow, logical way or do you ping pong from one idea to the next without fully explaining anything? Does it have a predictable structure that helps your readers move from one point/chapter/scene to the next?

Layer #3: Grammar

When I edit this layer, I act as a copy/line editor, looking for passive verbs, awkward sentence structure, wordiness, noun/verb agreement, verb tense confusion, and other grammarly items.

Layer #4: First and Last Lines

Do your first lines hook the reader and draw them into the chapter? Do your last lines make them want to keep reading? If not, rewrite until they do.

Layer #5: Sensory Details

Most sighted writers lean heavily on visual description to tell a story or present a concept, but sight isn’t your reader’s only sense. In this layer, check to see if you’ve included sound, taste, smell, and touch elements to help your readers fully experience the scene or concept. I often use different color highlighters to note each sensory reference. If I have few (or no) uses of a certain sense, I add them where appropriate.

Layer #6: Biblical Accuracy

This editing layer zooms in on every Bible reference. Is the verse quoted word for word from the preferred translation? Is the punctuation as it appears in the Bible? Is the verse reference accurate? Is the verse used properly based on the context of the passage? Don’t skip this layer. If you do, you could infringe on the Bible’s copyright or, worse yet, lead someone into heresy. 

Layer #7: Typos, Punctuation, Spelling, and Final Read

This final layer is the proofreading layer, the one where I look at how the words appear on the page, check for errors that may have been introduced during other editing stages, and give it a final close look. I usually print the manuscript to help me see it through fresh eyes.

Many Layers

After I doused my grandmother’s furniture in paint remover the first time, I realized I was only beginning. I lost count of how many layers of paint I wiped, sanded, and scraped off. 

You may feel this way as you edit your work. 

Trust me. Do it anyway.

Every layer will bring your piece closer to the beautiful and functional masterpiece God intends it to be. 

TWEETABLE

How Editing in Layers Can Make Good Writing Great from author Lori Hatcher on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Lori Hatcher is a freelance editor, writing instructor, and author of six devotionals with Our Daily Bread Publishing. Her latest book, Think on These Things: 60 Thoughtful Devotions for Renewed Peace, released this month. Lori writes for Revive Our Hearts, Focus on the Family, The Upper Room, and Crosswalk.com. A frequent instructor at writers conferences around the country, Lori loves nothing better than helping other writers polish and perfect their craft. Connect with her at www.LoriHatcher.com.