Tag Archives for writing

Eleven Rules For Editing Fiction

So you’ve nailed down the 11 Rules for Writing Fiction. You’ve finished your novel. You feel good. INVINCIBLE. But then… what’s that? A typo? A cliché?!

Crap, you realise. The hard work has only just begun.

Welcome to the world of editing.

No, come back! Don’t run away screaming! Editing is fun. It’s like scrubbing off the dirt from your novel’s little face. You know how good it feels when you scrub your kitchen until all the surfaces are sparkly? That’s what editing is like.

But where do you start? Here’s some suggestions on what to look out for….

11 Rules For Editing Fiction

  1. Read critically.
    Take a break from your novel and come back to it with fresh eyes. Read it critically. Find out where things don’t work and what you need to change. Take notes.

  2. Plan.
    You don’t want to edit the story any more than you have to. Look over your notes, and if needed write a new outline. How will you better demonstrate the character’s development? Where will you plant clues about the killer’s identity? Know what needs to be changed and how, before you start rewriting.

  3. Leave line editing for last.
    The story’s basic structure comes first; leave the details for last. Focus on fixing plot holes first, on re-ordering scenes, fixing timelines–the big stuff. Don’t waste time on making a sentence sound perfect, when you don’t even know whether that scene will survive the rewrite.

  4. CUT! (aka Know When To Start)
    Get rid of that prologue. Heck, get rid of the first two chapters. Cut straight to the action–the readers don’t need long passages introducing the protagonist, the protagonist’s family and the protagonist’s collection of rocks. Neither do they need weather reports or waking-up-in-bed starts. Speaking of which…

  5. Avoid bedtimes.
    Don’t abuse waking and sleeping. If that’s how you do all your scene breaks, something’s wrong — even if your protagonist is narcoleptic. Finishing a scene with someone drifting off to sleep is often anti-climatic, starting with them waking in bed is dull, and you can only believably wake up from a nightmare so many times.

  6. Avoid cliché.
    Both in your scenes and in your language. Pay special attention to similes and metaphors–as black as night, as cold as death, a bird in the hand… To make your story sound original and fresh, get rid of anything your reader will recognise.

  7. Delete unnecessary words.
    Make your writing as tight as possible. Often-overused offenders are: seem, suddenly, just, even, really, feel, almost, slightly, and directional words (up/down/in/out). Treat adverbs with caution. Cut as many as possible.

  8. Get an outside opinion.
    Have other people read it. Develop a thick skin. Listen to all of their advice and thank them for it. Compile their feedback, and see what they all agree on.

  9. Read it aloud.
    Listen to the rhythm. Does it sound right?

  10. Love what you do.
    Don’t despair. Editing can be disheartening, but it’s not all bad. And hey, even if it is, that’s why you’re editing!

  11. Finally…
    Share your wisdom — what’s your eleventh editing rule?

6 Lessons Learnt From Writing My First Novel

In October, I will finally publish my first novel.

This moment has been a long time coming. I started writing the first, roughest version of Above Ground back in early 2009, and not once did I think it would take me over three years to be where I am today.

Writing Above Ground has been a long journey. A hard journey. But — now that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel — it’s clear that this project has taught me more about writing than any other thus far.

Lessons Learnt From Writing My First Novel

  1. The first time’s the hardest.
    I started and abandoned three other novels before I hit upon Above Ground. Each time I’d given up because I’d hit a roadblock and didn’t know how to push on through. I’d never finished a novel before, didn’t know if I could finish a novel. I was so invested in my stories, so passionate, that when I hit a hard part I would get frustrated and quit.

  2. Perseverance is key.
    I learnt that the trick was to keep writing, to push out that draft — however awful — if only to give me the confidence that I COULD write a novel. I owe great thanks to the webfiction community, for what kept me writing Above Ground was that I posted each chapter online. It taught me to write regularly and to power through the tough bits. Not to mention that the reader comments and support gave me the confidence I needed to keep on going.

  3. It’ll never be perfect.
    One of the reasons why Above Ground has taken so long to complete is because I wanted it to be absolutely perfect. I’ve rewritten it twice, and as my writing style develops, I keep wanting to go back and amend, revise, improve… It’s not ready yet, I keep thinking. But you can only polish a stone so much; I’ve learnt when to let go.

  4. Outline, outline, outline.
    I utterly pantsed Above Ground, and while the subsequent editing and revisions taught me a lot of hard lessons about plot holes and character development, I’m determined to never be in that sticky situation ever again. I am an outlining-enthusiast now: it saves time, speeds up the writing process, and reduces rewriting.

  5. You get better at it.
    The projects I’ve worked on since starting Above Ground have been so much less daunting. The writing process has been smoother, with less revisions and rewriting. I’ve learnt what works for me, what to avoid. I’ve gained confidence.
    In the last year alone, I’ve outlined three more novels I’d like to write. The plot construction, pacing, character development… it comes more naturally now. It’s easier.

  6. You never stop learning.
    Writing Above Ground has helped me grow as a writer. But it has also shown me that writing improves with practice, and — like any other skill — the better you get at it, the more you want to learn.

No doubt I’ll come across new challenges with every book I write as my expectations for my writing grow, but at least now I know: I can do this.

What about you? What have you learnt from writing?