Shaun Groves
I finished the chapter I needed to turn in to a publisher this week. The thing that took the longest and was most painful was cutting it down. I tend to repeat myself in my writing and throw in things I find amusing or interesting that, if I’m honest/realistic, no one else would care about. Here’s an example, a funny bit I cut out because, um, it just didn’t fit in the end. It didn’t add anything to the chapter except humor:
My wife is a mild hypochondriac. And for this reason I don’t like the internet.
If her neck is stiff, if her tongue is a different shade of pink, she visits one of those be-your-own-doctor sites. It quickly analyzes her list of symptoms and then displays a few of the possible illnesses she may be afflicted with – ordered from most heinous to least.
Entering head ache, back pain and fatigue she soon discovers she has the Ebola virus, gonorrhea or an allergy to dairy.
I’ve noticed that any set of symptoms actually will yield a list containing the Ebola virus.
Dry skin? Ebola virus. Watery eyes? Ebola virus. Acne? Ebola virus.
Where was I going with this? Well, it’s a tenuous connection at best but the connection was: Every thing that is “wrong with the world,” no matter how small a symptom it may be, leads us back to the same diagnosis, the same disease: The Fall.
A stretch I know. That’s why it got deleted.
If you write, how do you edit? How do you go about deciding what stays and what goes? And do you do most of your editing as you write or write all you can and want to and then, in the end, go back and edit?
Seth Ward says:
Depends I think. I usually go back. Better cherry picking that way. I hear it is good to let a few people read before you do editing because something you thought was boring or stupid might be the coolest thing on the page. I had a conversation with Anne Rice once and she said that she really loves feedback. The smallest things give her insight on what people find interesting.
If I edit as I go it ends up loosing some of the edge. Plus I am dyslexic and editing as I go gets a bit maddening. I rarely edit blogs though other than spell check. That why I end up posting and re-posting. Almost every stinking time.
Shaun Groves says:
Wait, you met Anne Rice?
How? Where? When?
Stephen @ Rebelling Against Indifference says:
I usually edit after I’ve finished writing, but I haven’t written anything longer than a blog post or article yet. I have a friend who is working on a novel, and he told me recently that he does the first edit on each chapter as he finishes it. One of the reasons is that it helps break the monotony.
Seth Ward says:
Nothing spectacular. Although I thought it was cool, being a big fan. I met her via email.
I had read her Vampire books and always liked them. I picked up her new novel Christ the Lord out of Egypt, thinking she was probably an atheist and that this book was some attempt to make Jesus out to be the ultimate Vampire or something. To make matters worse it was during all that Mithra/doubt phase. So I turned to the prologue, started to read and found myself in tears in the middle of Barnes and Noble…reading the Prologue to her new book. She had converted back to Catholicism a few years back and was now devoting her time and writing to the Life of Christ.
I was so moved by the experience that I went home and emailed her, thinking that she would probably never respond if she read it at all. She was kind enough to email back and we emailed back and forth a few other times.
I was thinking about posting the correspondence sometime.
You should shoot her a line. I am sure she would respond.
Cali Amy says:
So it’s a good book, that one? I used to love the vampire books.
I try very very hard not to edit as I go, but it feels impossible. Sometimes, I just don’t edit at all, in order to accomplish something. (my blog)
Crystal says:
I’ve found it helpful to keep a “trash” document where I save many “gems” that I really need to cut. Somehow, just knowing these sentences and ideas won’t be gone forever helps me keep hacking.
Aims says:
Since I write fiction it’s easier to edit. But usually writing it on a computer word document with grammar and spell check usually helps me. After I’m done I edit. I’ll add in more where I think I need more detail. I take out where I think I can. I print it out and let my friends and parents read it and sit there looking at them and at the end of each chapter go “Well?” Then they have a say and can go “well you should put more in here” or “I think you went on about a subject too much here”. Then there are times when I’ll have spelled a word like off but didn’t hit the f button 2 times. So the computer doesn’t catch it but my mom, sister, and I will. So human editing is a good thing.
bncampbell says:
I’m just now exploring the site, and came across the “how do you edit” question. So, here’s how my writing process works (because I know you’re all so interested
I actually just joined a writer’s group recently, and it has helped my writing tremendously. My job is a writer at a non-profit, so I discovered I was writing all day for “work” and nothing at all for “pleasure.” So, I joined this group as a means of accountability. Currently, I’m writing a series of creative non-fiction essays on growing up in the south (or something like that). I usually crank out a relatively short essay on Saturday, then take it to the group on Sunday. I don’t even read through it, I just take it, full of typos and cliches and all of that junk. Then my group reads it, and we just talk, while I take notes furiously. This stays. This goes. Put more here. Say less there.
It’s GREAT! Because sometimes, the stuff I hate, just needs a little tweaking. And sometimes, those parts I loved are just not right for the piece. And I always end up with something better than I began with.
Sorry to be so long-winded!
acne treatment says:
I don’t see the connection between ebola virus and acne. Wish it was a little more clear
tanning lotions says:
so you are saying that dry skin can occure if one is infected by ebloa? i thought this virus was internal.
hair loss product says:
I also heard that dry skin can occur if one is infected by ebloa.
provillus says:
Great facts in this blog!
Speeding Ticket says:
Good stuff here. Quite a scare for hypocons…lol
Plus Size Dresses says:
Its tough without an editor. When I write (and write music) I am the worst editor. I always want to hang onto the stuf that I ‘get’ on a personal level. Most of the time to readers its boring or crass. Then what i find unoriginal can be very entertaining for others. Such a tough call.
Genital Warts says:
Ebolavirus first came to light in 1976 in outbreaks of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in Zaire and Sudan. Basically it’s related to skin.
warhammer says:
are saying that dry skin can occure if one is infected by ebloa? i thought this virus was internal.
stressguy says:
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humayun kabir says:
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Mother of the Bride says:
Can never decide what to keep or what to toss. Whenever I do keep something, it is not much liked by critics…. to misquote Twain:
‘People who read my write say I don’t’
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athena says:
It have been seen most in my patients who are at same work. So my special suggestion is just to keep up with different activities. In this cases, I find a preoccupation with body functions and the interpretation of normal body sensations (such as sweating) or minor abnormalities (such as minor aches and pains) as portending problems of major medical moment. only serves to increase the hypochondriac’s persistent anxiety about their health…
I’m finding that many bloggers seem to spout a lot of negative crap about other coders.
Many other have suffer from paranoia too, seems like these bloggers are talking directly to me! Any way, Hard time will go aways soon.
Alex Jeffreys says:
Ok, are saying that dry skin can occure if one is infected by ebloa? But if its not so internal virus that why not good solution to it?
Alex Jeffreys
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