Comments on: In Defense of Editing as You Go

By: Miz Erie

Miz Erie — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 14:55:45 +0000

Thank you for this! I recently discussed this in a writers' group, and I got back mostly "I don't know how you do it" and "But you need to learn to turn your inner editor off." This is the first thing I've ever read that validated my need to edit as I write. I struggle with diagnosed OCD, and my brain simply will not allow me to just keep going. I can spend an hour digging through a thesaurus for the perfect word, and finding it gives me a boost! But if I just jot down any ol' word, I stay fixated on it, causing anything I write after to suffer from my lack of attention to it. All I know is what I do works for me. It doesn't have to work for you, just like any other author's process doesn't have to work for me. Again, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for saying it's okay to edit as I write!

By: Julie Glover

Julie Glover — Sat, 16 May 2020 00:49:16 +0000

In reply to K.B. Owen. Thanks, Kathy! No, you're not alone. And your stories are wonderful, so your process is obviously working well for you.

By: Julie Glover

Julie Glover — Sat, 16 May 2020 00:48:39 +0000

In reply to Belinda. Wow, 50 published works. Awesome! And yes, sometimes you have to change your own writing process to meet a deadline or project goal. It's ideal, though, to get to do it in the way that works best for you.

By: K.B. Owen

K.B. Owen — Mon, 11 May 2020 16:59:51 +0000

Great post, Julie! I'm an edit as I go - I re-read the scene from the day before, make tweaks, and it seems (most times) to grease the wheels so I can plow on with the next scene. I definitely find editing rather than first-drafting easier, so this helps give me some confidence and momentum. I try not to re-read too far back, though, because I've learned that (for me) it's an avoidance tactic in place of writing fresh words. Nice to know I'm not alone! Hope you're doing well. ~Kathy

By: Julie Glover

Julie Glover — Sat, 09 May 2020 13:24:36 +0000

In reply to dholcomb1. Yes, that continuity piece is particularly important!

By: Belinda

Belinda — Sat, 09 May 2020 08:23:23 +0000

I think I'm a fusion of the two. I've got over 50 published works and generally, I edit as I reorient. Also, if something gets added to the plot, I'll either note that in the margin or go back and revise. Its just easier to do it while I'm fresh. When I'm finished with the first draft, the following drafts go much faster. But sometimes I'm on a tight deadline or doing Nano, and I'll just toss raw words on the page then revise, but this really isn't my favorite way of writing. I like the luxury of going through the second draft and polishing, fleshing out ideas and refining the story, rather than cleaning it up. :)

By: Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt

Alicia Butcher Ehrhardt — Sat, 09 May 2020 06:43:53 +0000

In reply to Julie Glover. I also plot with Dramatica. Few novelists do, and none that I know of (it's a major screenwriting tool). I find the RESULTS from considering everything you can consider in Dramatica utterly amazing in what it brings out in my plotting AND characterization - and it turns out to be perfect for me, because I need consider everything one piece at a time, knowing it will hang together.

By: dholcomb1

dholcomb1 — Sat, 09 May 2020 03:24:35 +0000

I don't do a full edit. I will go back and check for things, and if I see something in need of editing, I will. Sometimes it's needed for continuity.

denise

By: Julie Glover

Julie Glover — Sat, 09 May 2020 02:12:58 +0000

In reply to Jennie Kew. Oh, Jennie, I too have walked away from projects that fell apart because I was determined to follow the advice to just keep writing. What a relief not to follow that anymore but do what works for us! :)

By: Jennie Kew

Jennie Kew — Sat, 09 May 2020 01:16:23 +0000

I feel so seen, especially point #2 For years I've had other authors tell me to "turn off my inner editor" but that's not how my brain works, and the couple of times I've tried to "write now, edit later" were disasters. The stories veered waaay off track and made no sense at all. I ended up scrapping them completely because trying to fix them was too daunting a task. I edit as I go because it helps me stay on track story-wise, helps me layer in detail as I go, and by the time I'm finished the book it only needs another one or two quick pass-overs before it goes to my editor.