From Edie: Learn the first essential step in effective self-editing: letting your manuscript rest so you can return with clarity, distance, and fresh eyes. In this opening article of The Complete Guide to Self-Editing for Writers, Henry McLaughlin explains why cooling off your draft—and rereading it in print—helps you spot issues, strengthen your story, and prepare for deeper revisions.
The Complete Guide to Self-Editing for Writers Part 1: How to Strengthen Your Manuscript One Step at a Time
by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas
Part of my call as a writer is to help others through coaching, mentoring, teaching, and editing. One thing I’ve learned in my writing and in helping other writers is the vital importance of learning to self-edit. Someone said, and I can’t remember whom, “The heart of writing is re-writing.”
I’m not saying all you have to do is self-edit your work and you’re ready for publication. But, knowing how to self-edit your work effectively goes a long way to getting you there. At some point, you will need to submit your work to an outside editor or go through the editing process with a publishing house. Being able to self-edit helps these next steps go smoothly.
Starting with this blog, I will outline a self-editing process. It comes from applying and refining the principles I’ve learned in classes and workshops, from mentors and teachers, and from other writers. Where would we be without our writing community?
Let Your Manuscript Cool Off
As you compose your first draft, back up your project to a flash drive or other external source and your hard drive. When you’ve finished, let it sit. How long varies depending on whom you’re listening to. Some recommend a week; others recommend three months.
I believe the longer you can let it sit, the better. When working with a mentee, I recommend three months. If a client can’t wait that long, I ask them to wait at least one month.
We need to have an emotional distance between finishing the first draft and starting the editing process. The sooner we start, the more likely our emotions will be in control. We’ll miss things that need to be corrected. We need to let our ardor, our love, for our story, ease up so we can approach it with a calm eye to see flaws or areas that may be fine but can be better.
While you’re waiting, start another project. This will keep your creative juices flowing while keeping your hands off the first draft whispering your name. You can work on your next story: plotting, developing characters, building the story world, and research. Explore new story ideas. Read books and articles on the craft.
Read your manuscript
Print it out and read it. You’ll see things on the printed page you won’t see on the computer screen. Some recommend reading it aloud. I haven’t found this helpful. I add or replace words without realizing it.
I read silently, with highlighters and pens close at hand, and mark whatever jumps out at me: missing words, awkward sentences, plot holes, inconsistencies in timelines, story world, character description or portrayal.
Are there grammar issues? At this step, I don’t fix them. I just note them. I want to read the entire manuscript before making changes.
My printed copy ends up with notes, changes to consider, and a slew of other possible revisions. Sometimes, the manuscript looks like a stack of Post-it notes exploded inside. I’ll mark scenes or chapters to cut, revise, or move to some other place in the book. And I’ve identified places where an additional scene or a new chapter would be appropriate.
And we’re not done yet.
In December, we’ll explore the second step in doing an effective self-edit.
TWEETABLE
Henry edits novels, leads critique groups, and teaches at conferences and workshops. He enjoys mentoring and coaching individual writers.
Connect with Henry on his BLOG, X (TWITTER) and FACEBOOK.
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