by
Larry Ivkovich
Editing
one’s work, whether it’s for flash fiction, a short story, a novella, or a
novel, can be frustrating and time-consuming. But, it’s a necessary evil for
all those who want to get their work as polished and professional as possible.
And, oftentimes, a much better story will be the result of it.
During my
thirty years of serious fiction writing and my tenures in a number of
writing/critique groups, an old discussion often comes up. It’s one which I
believe has no really right answer although the two schools of thought often
clash. That is, should a writer finish whatever he or she is writing and edit
afterwards or self-edit as he or she writes?
It seems
most writers I talk to and most writing “how-tos” I’ve read favor the
former--edit after completing the work. I subscribe to the latter--I edit while
I’m writing. The advice I give to beginning writers is to do whatever is
comfortable and natural for them. Everyone’s different and has different
methods and styles of working. There’s really no right or wrong way to
self-edit.
I’ve tried
to finish a work and then go back and edit but I just can’t do it. It’s not
that I’m compulsive about it or a Type A personality in that regard. I just
like to play with what I’ve written previously, to try and improve it or
completely change it based on ideas I come up with after I’ve finished writing
a particular passage. I don’t outline but I do take notes and jot things down
when I think of them but it’s just more fun for me to try an idea out on what
I’ve written right away. Writer and editor Anne Lesley
Groell remarked at a writers’ conference I attended that this was how she also
worked on her writing. So I feel like I’m in good company!
Of course,
this is more involved than just line-editing although that, too, is important. Spellcheck
and grammar-check are good tools in your word processing software but aren’t
always completely successful. My wife told me a story about an old boss of hers
who was looking for another job. His office assistant typed up his resume for
him on her PC and ran the spellcheck. Now, sometimes, you can misspell a word
into a different word that’s completely legitimate. This particular incident
happened in the eighties where a style of resume writing allowed you to put
down what you did in your spare time. My wife’s boss told his assistant to put
down “white water rafting,” as a hobby, which he’d done only once or twice. The
assistant transposed the “r” and “f” in the word “rafting,” which the spell
check didn’t catch because “farting” is a real word. Well, needless to say, the
guy didn’t get the job! But everyone in my wife’s office, after hearing about
this through the grapevine, had a good laugh.
So, it’s
important for someone else to take a look at your work, whether that person is
a professional editor or a fellow writer or a friend. A fresh set of eyes
always helps. This is where a writing/critique group comes in handy or someone
you trust to be honest with you about the work.
Still--mistakes
can happen. An example from my début novel, THE SIXTH PRECEPT, is a pretty glaring
one. Despite my own editing and that of my publisher’s editor, we both let a
few misspelled words and phrases slip through the cracks, which I discovered
after the book had come out. One of my characters is talking about “cruisin’
the Wet.” Say what? It should have been “cruisin’ the net (small case also)”. I
still don’t know how that one got by. The mistakes have been corrected in
subsequent printings and downloads but it was pretty embarrassing.
One thing
that’s helpful to do (whether you self-edit while you write or after) is to put
the story, book, article aside for a couple of months (depending on your
submission deadline, if any) and then come back to it after you’ve gained some
distance. It’s easier to pick out mistakes in both line-editing, plot,
structure, etc. once you’re not so close to it.
I recently
heard a story of an author who had left the small publishing company who had
published his first book because he didn’t like to be edited. That’s a pretty
extreme and, ultimately, self-defeating reaction. Writers have to develop a
thick skin and be prepared to take criticism. Such comments, no matter how much
you may disagree with them, will help your work to become that much better (although,
if you feel very strongly the proffered advice isn’t right, then it’s
absolutely your prerogative to ignore it). Though writing is often referred to
as a “solitary profession,” working with other writers and editors can be a
very positive experience and one necessary for future growth.
So, edit
yourself any way you want! It’s important but remember you may not catch
everything that can drag your work down. Trust in yourself but also in other
people to help you in bringing your creative vision to life.
