Ask the Editor - Question from Free For All Tuesday

Terri, one of the writers who follows this blog, asked this question on our Free For All Tuesday post earlier this month: "I'm certainly not opposed to hiring an editor. I'd love one. But I realize I must do a lot of fixing up before I'm even ready for that. My question was about how a writer would go about editing after the first draft of a novel. After I get that done, I'll pray for the money to go the next step and hire an editor."

I had to laugh at her comment that she would pray for the money to hire an editor. If you find some benefactors, Terri, send them my way. I need to hire an editor for my next book.

I take a 3-step approach to editing after finishing the first draft, looking first at the big picture. Is the story holding together? Are the characters consistent? Does the time-line make sense?

Then I start looking at individual scenes to see where things can be tightened and improved. The final go-through is for more detailed editing, mostly grammar issues.

That is the super-condensed response to your question, and for more help I would suggest you read some of our previous blogs about editing. There have been a number of them that readers have said they saved off as good resources for self-editing. Here is one that has TEN QUICK TIPS.

Here's a post that I did with tips from an editing workshop I used to do. This one covers what I call THE FISH CLEANING approach to editing.

More tips from my EDITING WORKSHOP.

Another good post with QUICK TIPS.

And finally, a new contributor here at The Blood Red Pencil, Scott, had this to offer in response to the question: Wow, whole books have been written about that subject! My recommendation would be to set it aside for a while, a few weeks or more, before returning to the edit. There would be books I'd recommend, like Chris Roerden's "Don't Sabotage Your Submission," as a guide, but I think distance is the main challenge. Also, if you edit when you're cranky, you're more likely to get ruthless about the cuts.

Hmmm. I'm always cranky during edits, but I'm not sure that has made me ruthless.

Feel free to chime in here and offer Terri some more tips.

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Posted by Maryann Miller, who has been on both sides of the editing table and appreciates a good editor. Visit Maryann's Web site for information about her editing services and her books. When she is not working, Maryann loves to play farmer on her little ranch in East Texas.