E is for Editing

This morning’s mantra is – ‘I must learn to edit, better!’

I can be a lazy writer and I do make mistakes. I don’t think ‘texting’ and ‘emails’ have helped me much either, as speed is of the essence these days. I have come to realise that I use an unintentional shorthand and because I write at speed so that when I review my work I do not focus on what’s wrong. Therefore January is the month that I make myself learn to edit properly.

Today I am going to be Reviewing and Editing: Chapter - Tom’s Departure. It is essential that I get the timeline correct. I cannot afford to have gapping holes that a potential editor/agent/publisher could drive a proverbial bus through. It is my job to ensure that I have covered all aspects and that my story works, fits together alongside other characters storylines.

However: Learning to edit is tough. I can’t see my errors easily. I have to focus and pick a specific topic, say punctuation for dialogue and review it alone. Reading other authors writing is easy, it’s fresh to my eyes and I can spot when their words jar. I want my work to be the best it can so I have to go through this painful process. In the end I hope the energy I expend now will be worth the reward.

Any suggestions on how I can improve?