Writers--Edit Without Mercy

 

Beginning writers often give a cursory overlook to what they've written and are satisfied. Big mistake. The longer we write, the more we realize the importance of careful and merciless editing. 

I've written about this topic several times. Why? Because editing is one of the top items in a writer's toolbox. 

Today's poster tells us to 'write without fear' 'edit without mercy' so when editing, we have to steel ourselves to cut words and even whole sections. We must remove the overabundance of adjectives and slash adverbs ruthlessly. 

We should replace as may passive verbs as possible. There are always going to be some passive verbs, but don't be a lazy writer who relies heavily on them instead of looking for the active ones that are far more interesting and help you show rather than tell.

We must have the patience to edit once, then let the piece sit and simmer for a few days. I guarantee that, when you read it again, you'll see more places that need attention. 

We should read our work aloud alone in a quiet place. Hearing your words spoken helps you to catch places that need help. You'll find over-long sentences when you have to stop in the middle of a sentence to catch your breath. You'll find words that you stumble over--so will a reader. You'll notice the repetition of words too close together. And many more little problems that you passed right over when you read your work silently.

Punctuation is important. Are you using commas correctly? Did you remember to use question marks when needed? Have you been consistent? When I critique the work of others, I often notice that they use two different methods of commas in a series. One way is to say--red, blue, and yellow. Another is to say--red, blue and yellow. It's a small thing, but choose the method you'll use and stay with it. Learn how to use colons and semi-colons properly. Don't overuse exclamation marks. Learn the proper way to punctuate within quote marks. 

Look for clarity. The writer knows exactly what the scene looks like or what person did what and when, but the reader may not see it unless the writer is very clear in writing the scene. The same problem can occur when readers come across pronouns that don't make clear which noun they refer to. Again, the writer knows, but the reader might not. 

You should look for places where you can use more sensory details. Again, the writer senses them as he/she writes, but the reader doesn't have a clue. The writer needs to help the reader 'see, hear, taste, feel, and smell' by what they write. Do it with showing rather than telling. 

When a writer edits, he/she must look for emotion. Does whatever emotion is indicated come through to the reader. Ask yourself if what you wrote will make the reader feel just as you did when you wrote it. If not, rewrite.

All this editing takes time and some patience, but if you make time and have the patience, you'll end up with a far better piece of writing. You'll increase your chances of being published.