My Miracle Editing Trick
I do this on everything I write … and it helps!
I write novels for a living, so editing is an integral part of my daily regimen. In the past, I’ve hired editors, used beta readers or done it myself. Even if you do all of this, there are ways to make the process easier and more efficient.
Recently, I discovered a trick that has helped tighten up my writing, made my books cleaner and help speed up the editing process. And it’s something all of us can do.
First of all, let me describe my writing routine. After each day’s writing (and sometimes even during the day), I stop and re-read what I’ve written, editing as I go. I’m not the type of person who will blast through a book to get a rough draft and then go back and redo everything I’ve already written. To me, that’s a lot of extra work.
So, I edit as I go. This isn’t difficult since my mind seems to have two gears when it comes to the writing process. One is for creating; the other is for editing. When creating, it’s quite easy to drain my brain to the point of exhaustion. However, I get reinvigorated when I put on the editor hat. It’s as if another person takes over and says, let’s see what this is all about. It’s a different process, and my mind has no trouble handling it, even if I’m exhausted after a long day of creating.
