Topic: My great self-editing secret

...will be a secret no longer after this posting, but--c'est la vie--some things are too good to keep to one's self.

If you are anything like me, your mistakes are invisible when you are looking at your computer screen. Words left out, --ing words when they aren't required (which should be most of the time--an argument for another day) and even that all-important rhythm can be easily overlooked. This is because we read the words in our mind, not on the screen, and in our mind they are perfect. Ego is our greatest asset and enemy. 

Get an e-reader and transfer your book to it. For some reason, seeing your words in a different format will make your errors stand out like a black fly on a wedding cake.

And now the great secret...

As you read, make notes in an mp3 player or some recording device. Only later, at your 'puter, do you make the corrections as you listen to your own sweet voice in your head on headphones.

I make notes like this:

"Small change. This is when Sha and Dee are first below the palace. When Sha asks where the passage of the Eye is looking at goes, Dee says, "I don't know." Instead, let's have Dee say she's explored the hall to the twisting steps down, but no further. This will make the reader curious what's down there. Find this by Sha asking "What's down there?"

Important to make some note of where you saw the correction, that you can easily find with a search.

Carrying an MP3 recorder has the additional advantage of allowing you a quick note when an idea pops in your head.

The only drawback to this system is you become dependent on it. Should you forget your MP3 recorder, you will feel like Darth Vader just cut off your hand.

Quote Post 1

Re: My great self-editing secret

Nice tip on the e-reader thingy.

I prefer a notebook vs. an mp3 player/recorder. smile

-Elisheva

Quote Post 2

Re: My great self-editing secret

Changing from a serit font to a grotesque font or vice-versa always helps.  Likewise from a closely spaced font to an expansive font.

Quote Post 3

Re: My great self-editing secret

mac Automator function will read your text to you (in a variety of voices). you can record this and listen to it while running the rapids at the Grand Canyon or bungee jumping the Olduvai Gorge on archaeological expeditions.

many flaws in grammar, pacing and logic will to be heard. I recommend carrying a small whip to flagellate yourself when you hear a mistake so as to remember it.

no one ever said writing was easy and painless.

Quote Post 4

5 Reply by John Byram (edited by John Byram 2015-09-26 00:57:37)

Re: My great self-editing secret

I'm pleased to see someone has started a topic on editing. I am now in the beginning stage of the 1st edit of my novel Murder at Midnight. I have pushed version 0 off on all my good friends here at TNBW. The many comments and suggestion are greatly appreciated, but I know I have a long way to go. I have learned a great deal. I have read many novels, and quite a few good books on how to write. I should have known that the art of writing entertaining stories, above all took work, fortitude and an ability to shrug off disappointing results, and keep going. One of the early books I read was John Gardner's "The Art of Fiction." I guess, I failed to notice the subtitle, "Notes on Craft for Young Writers." One of his main themes for young writers stresses the learning process of reworking a story over and over and over. I am now doing this and I'm not getting any younger. It's hard work.

Creating a story isn't enough. I thought that once I had a solid plot and a cast of characters, I could just start writing. It seems to work for some people. However, I found that I needed an outline, but before I could do an outline I needed to write a synopsis. You know how it goes. I found some writing software I liked, and so I launched my first major fiction attempt. My goal was to write a murder mystery. Now my goal is to make that murder mystery readable.

The member of TNBW showed me that I needed to learn the basic rules for using commas. I'm getting better. I thought I knew the rules for writing and punctuating dialogue, but making the leap from knowing to doing has proven to be difficult. Reviewers have pointed out that my writing is often choppy, because I use a lot short sentences and seldom use conjunctions and dependent clauses. What I am trying to say is that I have finally reached the point where I may be able to improve up on my initial draft.

I am going line by line through each scene. My software included a reader and I'm finally using it. If I leave out a word it sounds odd. I realized I had to insert the word or the dumb reader would keep making the same mistake over and over. After reading a series of choppy sentences, I go back and combine sentences about the same things using a conjunction. Some times I can eliminate a short sentence by making it a subordinate clause. I even use a prepositional phrase now and then and put commas between adjectives. I know, it is amazing I ever got out of high school. All though I am excited about editing, I am finding it exhausting. Sincerely, John

Quote Post 5

Re: My great self-editing secret

This IS a great idea. I use my Kindle to see my writing more objectively. It's amazing how that "one degree of separation" helps me see my writing as if it were someone else's, and thus I see the errors more clearly. I had not thought about recording the notes, however. I have an Olympus digital voice recorder that docks with my PC, and I can save the notes as a file. Thanks for sharing.

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