I’m learning to write — part two: five things I learnt while editing my first novel

After committing to my transformation from person to writer (yes, writers are like mutants) I finished the first draft of my novel in October 2020. Yay me! As far as I was concerned, pandemic lockdowns were a gift. They gave me time to write. And I did.

In December 2020 I was ready to begin the first round of edits.

Two chapters into my editing I lost all steam. Even with all my preparations, there was one thing about editing I did not know, could not know, until I started doing it. Editing is hard!

It took me almost 3 months to complete the first round of edits. In the second round I found it much easier. I printed out my entire novel, and began editing by hand. It may seem old fashioned, but I was focused and got through the work much quicker this way. Of course, this meant a whole lot of pain later when I had to transcribe the edits back into the computer. Next time I’ll hire someone on Airtasker for that job!

Throughout my editing journey so far I have learnt many things. Here, for your easy consumption, are the 5 most important things I learnt.

1. Research, research, research

And then make a plan.

Each step in becoming a writer has involved a lot of research. When I finished my novel and prepared to edit, I read all the advice I could about how to edit your own work. Lots of writers share the trials and triumphs they experienced in their own journeys to publication. There are also innumerable articles on platforms such as Medium that provide step-by-step guides to editing. Then there are the short courses to give you the skills to begin.

All of this was useful. I developed a four-stage editing plan and jumped in. Without the knowledge gained from my research I would have floundered around, making inconsequential changes to my work.

In my article 5 challenges I faced to become a writer, I refer to the benefit of learning about all aspects of the writing process, from developing an idea, to editing and publication. I believe the more you know about all facets of the writing process, the better your writing will be, and the greater chance you will have of being noticed by a publisher or agent.

So, research, research, research. Knowledge is power!

2. Work to a deadline

Editing is the opportunity to fine-tune your writing to make it better, to take it to a higher level, to fix all those minor errors, and to ensure there is consistency in the story and your voice.

Editing also provides the opportunity to do nothing but edit, forever. It can become a trap, a Groundhog Day of never-ending rewrites.

My plan included a deadline. In my blog post Too many ideas! 5 ways I decide what to work on next (which you can also read here on Medium), I mentioned I work well to a deadline. This works best if the deadline is set by a third party, but a self-imposed deadline can still be motivating, even if I don’t meet it.

My initial deadline was one month to finish the first round of edits. It took me nearly three months!

One of the reason I didn’t meet my deadline was lack of motivation. I was learning how to use my newly acquired editing skills in a practical sense, and it exhausted me. Now, I am much more adept at what I am doing (I’m still nowhere near the skill-level of a professional editor), I’m quicker in my work and thus have a better chance of meeting my new deadline.

Setting a ridiculous timeframe, like I did with my first round of edits, achieves nothing but making you feel bad for failing. Second time around I gave myself a deadline of two months. I figured I could do better than the three months it took for the first round of edits, but still leave myself room for distractions.

3. Use a tracking system

I discovered there’s just too much information to manage while editing. My memory isn’t that good, and sticky notes just don’t cut it. That’s why I designed an editing spreadsheet to help me track the information I needed.

I love me a spreadsheet!

My spreadsheet allowed me to track facts (character names, locations, events) across the entire novel. If I wasn’t sure of something, I could scroll back to see how it was described in an earlier chapter. It also tracked word and page statistics for each chapter.

There are many programs available to help you manage your writing and editing, such as Plottr and Scrivner. Some people use whiteboards or pin boards to manually manage the information.

Whatever system you use, it needs to work for you. An information management system should be a tool that makes things easier for you. If the system you are using takes too much work to maintain, switch to something else.

4. Use beta readers

Beta readers let you know how they feel about your book. They give you insight into how readers see characters and scenes, whether your depiction of certain facts is appropriate or correct, and give you a general idea of how the book may be received by the public.

It is important to use beta readers if you are writing about things of which you have no personal experience.

For instance, writing a gay or trans character if you are not gay or trans; or writing a Latino character if you are not from that culture. Beta readers can tell you if your information is correct, if you are being appropriately sensitive in your writing, or if you need to make changes in order not to offend.

You can find beta readers through local writing communities, Twitter, Facebook or even use family and friends. Professional beta readers charge fees, but otherwise it is between you and your beta readers to work out an arrangement.

5. Use a professional editor

At some stage in your editing process you should consider using an independent editor. Even if you are a qualified editor yourself. There is nothing to replace having a trained professional running their eyes over your work.

There are several types of editing, so you will need to choose what fits best into your editing plan.

· Developmental editing

· Evaluation editing (book critique)

· Content editing

· Line editing

· Copyediting

The editing you choose may also be influenced by cost — editing isn’t cheap. Spend your money where you think it will have the most positive impact for you. I’ve decided content editing, line editing and copyediting are all worth investment. Now just to see if I can afford them all!

It looks easy, seeing these 5 steps summarized here. But editing is not easy. I have struggled, and continue to do so. The most important thing while editing is to believe in yourself and the worth of your writing. If you believe, and invest, in yourself, others will follow.

Look out for my next installment — I’m learning to write — part three: how do I find an editor I can trust?