Dispatches from the editing trenches
How 'writing a book' is actually just editing the same words over & over again
Welcome back to my series, Write a book with me by the end of summer. Today I want to explore the process of editing a manuscript.
While drafting this post, it struck me that writing a book is really just editing the same words again and again…and again. So perhaps a more apt title for this series would be Edit the same 75,000 words with me over & over again until we’re both left asking “What does his laugh actually sound like here? A huff, a cackle, or a sigh that transformed into a snort?”.
Alas, there’s always next summer.
Types of editing
I use “editing” as a catchall term, but in truth, there are many different kinds—each one all too familiar to writers:
Developmental/structural editing aka “big picture” editing
Line editing/copyediting aka sentence-by-sentence (or really, word-by-word editing)
Proofreading aka making sure restaurant is spelled correctly (to be completely transparent with you, I typed that word out incorrectly 4 times and then gave up and just spellchecked it)
I won’t go into detail about each type of editing since much smarter people have done so already (check out this post by
if you’re interested in learning more about the different types of book editing), but just know that editing can mean different things to different writers at different parts of the process.Earlier this year, my current work in progress (WIP) went through a major developmental revision. At first, the book started out as a celebrity romance, but I eventually decided to head in a different direction. Thankfully, I’d only written about a quarter of the book, so the rewrite wasn’t too painful. Other than that, the book’s structure has remained more or less the same, which is a huge relief. My last book went through more rewrites than I can remember, and I know just how exhausting that process can be.
I’m currently at the line editing/copyediting portion of revising my manuscript. I’ve mentioned before that this is my favourite part of the writing process, and I mean it with my whole heart. I used to dream of becoming a professional editor (never say never, right?) and so, although I want to get it done as quickly as possible so that I can finish the book, I’m enjoying every day spent in this revision phase.
Some helpful tips
I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it a million more times: I’m not a professional by any means, and every writer is different. I have, however, written (and edited) multiple books, and have found some things that help me in this process. I hope they can help you too.
Print out your pages
I am the first to lament about destroying the environment, but there really is nothing quite like having your words printed out in front of you to review. Maybe it’s because I already spend all day working on a computer for my job, so the idea of spending my free time staring at a laptop doesn’t sound appealing to me. I don’t print out every draft, but for each book, I usually print one or two. I find I’m far less distracted when it’s just me, the pages, and a pen. It might just be the overachieving student in me, but there’s something deeply satisfying about covering a page in red ink (and yes, it has to be red—sorry, I don’t make the rules).
Pro tip: Always keep a notebook nearby when editing by hand so that you have the space to work out a longer scene.Read your work out loud
I’m sure you’ve heard this before and as annoying as it is, it’s unfortunately 100% true. There are just some things your eyes won’t catch that your ears will…especially because, as we’ve already established, you’ll be reading the exact same words repeatedly. Trust me: read your work out loud.
Pro tip: If you want to save your voice or, like what happened to me last year and you get hit with laryngitis right when you’re at the reading-out-loud portion of editing, there are different types of software that will read your documents for you.Keep a list of “big picture” notes nearby
When I say “big picture” notes, I mean the themes, ideas, or elements you want to weave more deeply into your story. I keep a sticky note nearby with all of them listed since there’s no way I can remember them every time I sit down to revise. Believe me, having this list readily available makes a world of difference. For example, in my WIP, one of my “big picture” notes is that I need to include more of a character’s anxiety into each scene. Would an anxious character simply laugh at a joke, or would they cover their mouth and then feel their cheeks heat with a blush when they realize that instead of a cute laugh, a snort reminiscent of a farm animal slipped from their lips?Get beta readers!
I won’t get into this here because I plan to write a post on working with beta readers (stay tuned!), but I believe that this is a necessity for every book.
Bianca’s reading corner
What I’ve enjoyed lately
I’ve been on a huge contemporary romance kick, which is strange because I tend to avoid reading the genre I’m writing in. But contemporary romance books have been SO GOOD lately that they’re impossible to avoid.
A couple weeks ago, I finished reading You, With a View by Jessica Joyce and loved it. I recently read her newest book The Ex Vows (fun fact: I’m using this as a comp to my WIP) and ADORED that book, so I’m glad to see that her debut was just as good. Both of these books are perfect examples of my favourite type of romance book: a sweet love story, some spicy scenes, heavier real-life topics, and great writing. I have now deemed Jessica Joyce a new favourite author, and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.
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