The Writer’s Tools—The Good Writing Comes Out in the Editing

by Melissa Corliss DeLorenzo

Photo: Zsuzsanna Kilian

I’ve slogged my way—alternately joyously and torturously—through the first draft of my novel. It is a rough, lumpen shape. Now I will go in with the fine tools and carve, smooth and form it into a complete and refined piece.

The good writing comes out in the editing.

It might be too late to mention this, as you might already have a manuscript, but just in case you read this before you finish your rough draft, here’s my advice: write, don’t fiddle. Save rewriting for later. Don’t go back and read, then trifle with it, then write more, then move backwards. Only move forward. That is the single worst writing habit I used to have. I never got past five pages of anything because every time I sat down, I would reread and fiddle around with what I’d already written. Just write, write, write. The good writing comes out in the editing.

Okay, that being said, I’ll move on to editing. How do you effectively move through the difficult and daunting editing process? Here are a few tips to get you to the consecutive and final drafts.

First, put it away. I spoke about this the other day. Allow it to ripen a bit. A week or a month, or whatever works for you. You may have to experiment and take note of how much time is optimal for you.

Be prepared to find some really bad writing and be prepared to be surprised to find some really great stuff, too. It will probably be a mixed bag. Try to remain objective. Treat your self with kindness and detachment.

Typically, when I edit a piece for the first time, I print out a copy and sit in a comfy spot when I have time to read it through in its entirety. When you read from beginning to end, I think you can get a better sense of its shape and its pace, the plot holes, the parts that drag on too long or do not add to the plot and the parts that need to be expanded. Take some notes, write in the margins, circle things. Don’t change anything until you have read it through and have a sense of its roundness.

Mark up little typos, note the awkward sentences, circle the cliches, but don’t worry too much about the prose right now. Reworking the prose to its best is the fine carving that can come out in further edits. If something strikes you and you are concerned you might forget, do make note, but generally, the shape of the novel, the story itself, is what matters right now. If you rework prose to perfection, but then need to cut some of it later because of plot issues, it will just be squandered time.

With your notated text, return to the computer to now begin rewriting. Carve the story out. Watch the pace. Be a little brutal with the delete button. Get rid of unnecessary words or lines of dialogue or anything that either does not move your plot or expand your characters. Fix the typos.

Put it away again. If you have some good and thorough reading friends who are willing to read it, take them up on their offer and be sure to ask them specific questions after they have read the manuscript. Ask about their impression as a whole, did the plot make sense, did they care about the characters, was the pace even, did they like it.

Editing can actually be a fun task. Be patient, diligent, detailed and practice self-kindness and your rough draft can be hewn into the work you envisioned.

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