Week 10: Editing – love it or hate it?
52-Week Blog Challenge Blog Hop
If I had to answer this question after having the first round of my first book edited, it would be a toss-up between dread and hate. I’ve come a long way from not knowing how to use Track Changes.
Editor’s Edits:
This comes as I am working on EDITS just back from my fantastic editor. Do I love it or hate it? Now that I know what I’m doing, I love editing when it comes back from her. I love to see the suggestions she offers to make the book better. So, this part I do love.
If there are changes that will take thought or time, I don’t love it so much because I want my book finished, and then there’s the ego thing with an instant… “No, I’m not changing that” mindset. This is when patience and reality come into play. I usually always make the changes and accept her suggestions because she’s the expert.
Even when it means tossing the complete first four or five paragraphs, and beginning the book in a different place, like with my current book. I loved my beginning as it was, but after giving it a couple of days to think about, I realize she’s right, and I can take some of the original and add it back in elsewhere, per her suggestion.
Self-Editing: Love or Hate
What about revising and editing a book after the final draft and before it goes to the editor? It’s frustrating when a story that looks and feels right in a draft, isn’t the same as when getting down to the nitty-gritty and looking at it with a self-editor’s eye. A time when you now know the complete story–where it’s been and where it’s going. It’s amazing to catch mistakes like: the time-frame is out of sync, or I spelled a character’s name incorrectly, or when I have to move something to a better place. Gasp! Or ditch my precious words. I love to see a book come together and watching characters develop more fully. Settings too become more real. This is what I love about revising and self-editing before anyone sees it.
So there it is, plain and simple. Turns out, I love editing more than I love writing the first draft though I do enjoy writing a draft to see what surprises are revealed.
What I don’t like is revising and editing blog posts.
What about you?
Do other authors love editing? Hate it? We can find out by visiting participating authors at the Marketing for Romance Writers Blog.
Now it’s time to get back to editing.
Image credit:
Featured photo/ glasses & keyboard: Pixabay- Slightly_Different
Mary J. McCoy-Dressel 
6 thoughts on “#MFRWauthor Week 10: Love or Hate ~ Editing!”
D. Wallace Peach
I actually like editing, Mary, even though it’s super tedious. I like the process of sharpening a book up and getting it ready to go. But there is a certain level of anxiety about it – because a book is never perfectly finished. There’s always that point when we have to let it go. 🙂
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I have a problem with knowing when to leave it alone and “let it go.” Yes, Diana, it’s the process of sharpening it up that I love.
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Cathy Brockman
I am not a fan of editing though I know it is a must. I guess i just don’t like being told what to do but I have an amazing Alpha reader so I let her help with the first draft ad she is a life saver.
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
I understand that control thing, Cathy, but I learned quickly that I needed to let someone take the wheel with their expertise… As long as they don’t try to change me or my voice.
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deesknight
Mary, I also like to do my self-edits. Reading the book straight through rather than chapter by chapter as I do when writing is a whole different way to see the story. Like you, I find wondrous things–like changing the year, the hero’s name, the color/length of hair, etc.
I taught people how to use Track Changes before I got into writing, so I can understand as an author how you might have panicked having to learn it so fast and for something so important!
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Mary J. McCoy-Dressel
Yeah, Dee, I had a lot to learn that first time. I don’t know how long Track Changes has been in Microsoft Word, but I never saw or didn’t pay attention. I’m techy so I figured out how they worked and thought it was so cool. 🙄
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