The Subtle Art of Editing
This past week I have been working on some special surprises that will be coming in the future, but while you're going to love seeing what I have come down the pike, sometimes writing isn't all that glamorous and that's okay.
I've been editing, which means I've been avoiding editing. I'll give you some facts and figures. My first book is going to be forty-eight chapters, plus or minus one or two. To remind you how we got where we are, here's a look back:
I wrote this book in about twelve non-consecutive weeks.
I read the whole thing through once, checking for obvious spelling mistakes and typos.
I sent it off to the editor for a developmental and line edit.
I got feedback on the first five chapters more times than I can count through contests and a few friends and critique partners.
I got track changes and broad suggestions from my editor.
Where are we now?
I've edited the first five chapters using the comments from the editors, which if you're counting is approximately 10% of the book. I'm a bit behind schedule, but have built in some wiggle room, and have made headway on the secret surprises for later.
So now what?
Well, I need to stop procrastinating and edit. After I finish the whole enchilada, I'll send it to the proofreader for, you guessed it, another round of edits. Then, I'll need to run through it again. After that, I'll need to make it look pretty and polished for its big debut.
I've read before that many writers would rather clean their whole house, cook a five-course meal, clean the entire house again, landscape the yard, power wash the house, and then read five books rather than edit their work, and I'm sorry to tell you that I am no exception. Not only is my house clean, I've organized my space at work too, planned for next year, and done more online shopping than I know what to do with.
Now in my defense, part of this is also therapeutic for me and part of an annual cycle I've enjoyed since starting my current job. Also, there is some benefit in taking in feedback and giving it time to sink in or marinate. The more distance I can get from my work, the better. How else am I able to read every chapter and make it as clear as possible?
My friend loaned me a book recently and hold on to your hats, it is NOT fiction.
As you can see, not even close. Though I'm not finished with it yet, I'm delighted to report that I'm entertained and have also had a few aha moments. Part of my problem is that I have always cared too much about what other people think. Most of my agonizing and worry come from me obsessing about how other people will judge me. I used to be much worse about it when I was younger, and let me tell you what, having a baby, getting turned down for a lot of things, and being in the query trenches for three years will erode almost anyone. To put it simply, in the past three years, I have learned to take one helluva punch and get back in the ring.
As this book points out, "To not give a f*** is to stare down life's most terrifying and difficult challenges and still take action." It also makes the case that every single person has problems, and those problems change as your journey changes. The author, Mark Manson, argues that without these problems to solve, life is meaningless, but the key is to make sure that we enjoy the problems we choose to have on the path to success. Sure, being a best-selling author sounds nice, but does the years of rejection, self-doubt, and countless hours in the chair writing alone sound so great? If yes, then welcome to the club!
As I said before, I haven't finished the book yet (don't worry, I will before I finish editing). The part I'm in now makes a case for doing some soul searching to figure out what success looks like for each of us, and why we want that so badly. It also challenges the reader to question if how they measure their success is really the best tool for the job.
As for me, I want to publish my stories, so back to editing I go!
Onward!
Kathryn
