Editing

by Adam Turner
20th March 2012

How do you edit your novels? I am unsure whether to edit my first chapter while it's fresh in my head or move on with the second while my brain is in gear with the story? Thanks.

Replies

I left the dog poo for my partner to pick up :p LOL

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Victoria
Limbert
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Victoria Limbert
21/03/2012

What the others said. Stories change between the first tap on a keyboard and 'The End.'I think too much editing as you go along affects the flow and it's better to leave it.

Good luck. For me editing is like picking up dog poo - not very pleasant but you know you have to do it.

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Jonathan
Hopkins
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Jonathan Hopkins
21/03/2012

I agree with the above comments. Stay in gear, get it down. It can't be made ready to go first time, it just can't, so don't worry. Look up the story of how the Lord Of The Flies got published. Herculean editing...much of it by the publisher which might well not happen nowadays. But you need that lump of clay before you can model it, and only you can produce it. Editing while you're still writing can become compulsive if you're not careful (says she, ruefully) Good tip too, about leaving a gap of time. I left mine for a year, between Draft 2 and 3. Well, no-one but me was waiting for it. Quality is everything. You see with fresh eyes next time you look at it, and the editing comes cleaner and faster then.

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Katie-Ellen
Hazeldine
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Katie-Ellen Hazeldine
21/03/2012