The Joys Of Editing...NOT!

If you are a writer, you know what it is to edit.

Yes, I am talking about that dreadful phase of your story where it's nearly impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel (especially during your first draft).

Unfortunately, that's where I'm at now, first run through and everything. 

I can see the long, treacherous road stretched out before me and just thinking about it makes me tired.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

You may say, "Crystyl, why not have someone else edit for you?"

I know there are countless sites where you can pay someone to edit for you or if you have an agent, they can find an editor for you.

That's all good; however, I prefer to do a much as I can myself.

If you're like me, your first draft is hardly comparable to your final edit.

Though painful, I feel like the editing process is as much for me as it is for the story. 

It helps me refine my characters to be more believable and relatable. It gives me opportunity to beef up the drama where I may have skimmed over it at first because I was just trying to get everything out.

Editing "my way", allows me to catch the small things I may have forgotten 100 pages in (I do that a lot with injuries).

If I paid someone else to edit for me, it wouldn't grow in character and I wouldn't be proud of it. The paid editor is not in my head and therefore cannot know what I actually meant for that character to do or say.

Now, that being said, having someone else edit and read through it essential...but only after you've done four or five drafts...or even the tenth!

I can't tell you how many times I've been helping out a friend and have made suggestions and by the time I give them back their story, they've already made a bunch of changes. 

I feel like editing early drafts is a waste of time. (Everyone is not like me, but no one likes to edit anyway...well maybe if you were paid to do it!)

How I edit is when I feel like I've done as much as I can do, I hand my manuscript over to a few trusted friends: I choose some that are good at grammar and spelling and others that are good at catching story flaws. Both are very helpful.

After I've collected all of their opinions (good or bad), I do yet another run through until I fall in love with it!

I would loose all of that if I just simply handed my story over after a few drafts.

So, you can see, I have a very long road ahead of me. Caffeine and music will help me through!

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can!