I have nearly finished what I hope is the penultimate thorough edit of my novel. I must have done over thirty thorough edits. It has been an exhausting, but enlightening process.
In the beginning, I thought that each subsequent edit would be much easier. I was wrong. But after each subsequent edit my novel was tighter and pacier.
During my edits I discovered weaknesses, repetition, shoes and socks problems, clunky sentences, poor grammar and punctuation, missing signposts, unsuitable chapter titles, chapters that ended without a hook or cliff-hanger, 60,000 words of superfluous text, lengthy descriptions, and dialogue that needed much improvement.
I thought my first draft was brilliant, but Hemingway was right, ‘The first draft of everything is always shit.’
What invaluable lessons have you learned?
You're welcome. There's a part 2, 3. 4. 5, 6 and 7 I think that's all for now.
Helped me a lot.
Thanks for the link :-)
Very helpful
I did the same as you ... then I went here and thought ... Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
and did some more. I've finished now but I keep peeking through it still.
http://www.aimeelsalter.com/2013/09/self-editing-seek-destroy-word-list-1.html?
Difficult to know the finished moment.