# How do you edit faster?



## homerun100 (Dec 18, 2016)

I know that it takes times to edit your work, but sometimes I just stare at a blank screen feeling frustrated. I have something to write, but I can't seem to type those words out.  I already have a finish rough draft that needs editing, but sometimes I don't  know how to describe a particular scene, setting or my character doing some action.  My new chapter took me four weeks before I finally got it where I was nearly satisfied.  I know something belongs there and I have an idea what. It just that I can't seem to find the right words to show the scene. Am I not practicing my craft enough? I spend an hour reading six days a week and the same time for writing.  Anyone have any tips on how I can improve and maybe cut some of the frustration that I feel out of my work?


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## Plasticweld (Dec 18, 2016)

Practice by writing something you know.  Do something with a blog, do a personal journal or critique another members writing here on the forum.  Taking a break away from what you are working on and coming back to review your work with fresh eyes does wonders.  There is no way I could write something today and be happy with it, tomorrow morning.  I will find all sorts of mistakes and areas that are un-clear.   Your mind pieces together details that the reader can't see but you do.  If you look at the same piece a hundred times you can still over look a simple mistake or mentally fill in a void in the story that you would pick right up with a fresh look at the next day.


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## RhythmOvPain (Dec 18, 2016)

I edit by reading and replacing what doesn't feel right within each chapter.

As a story gets more cohesive you tend to need less editing on the back end where you're mostly going back to add stuff.

I LOVE editing because most of the work is already done. If you feel like you've finished you work for the day, go back and check it.

Come back and edit whenever you aren't in the mood to write.

I did that a LOT when I wrote numerous stories at once.

I'd slowly read through all the different chapters and just change what needed to be changed.

It all equates to productivity.


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## voltigeur (Dec 18, 2016)

> My new chapter took me four weeks before I finally got it where I was nearly satisfied.



This reminds me of the kind of writer we were warned not to be. The nameless writer that never got anything published because he could never get it "just right."

When I finish a chapter of scene I put it away for at least a week to 10 days. Then I re-read it working out the kinks massaging paragraphs. This is editing and is a left brain function. The left brain very seldom if ever gets blocked. 

One I have done a "second read & revision" I then go to Prowritingaid which is my on line editor. Many times if a sentence or paragraph doesn't seem right it often is a grammar problem. If I know the rough draft was really weak and crappy, I may do a third read and second edit then I'm done. 

I have a critique group that I have been working with, if the scene is still bothering me that group can usually point to exactly where my writing is going south. 

For example: One time  I had a humorous thread and instead of finishing the joke; I stuck a descriptive paragraph in the middle of it and broke the rhythm. 

Once I incorporate those changes I'm done!

There have been times that I have had such a screwed up scene I had to re-write it but that has been the exception. 

If you're having writers block as you describe, start your writing session with 30 min of editing. This can get the writing gears lubed up and ready to work. I set a timer and limit myself to 30 min when I do that. 

Hope this helps!


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## Jay Greenstein (Dec 18, 2016)

There is a basic, central, and critical problem every hopeful writer must address, which is that no matter how hard and often you try, you cannot correct the problem that you do not recognize as being a problem. You can't sharpen your scene goal if you don't know you should have one, and what it does for you. You can't introduce and manage tension if you don't know why it's necessary, or even why it's needed. And there are a dozen such issues. Can we write a scene that will make an acquiring editor smile if we haven't taken the time to learn what makes them frown?

Our reading helps us recognize that there is a problem. It does not teach us to identify it.

“Readers don’t notice point-of-view errors. They simply sense that the writing is bad.”
~ Sol Stein

So ask yourself if you've prepared yourself for the task, and if the problems you mentioned were the result of missing data, not a fault within yourself. There's a lot to writing fiction for the printed word that's not obvious till it's pointed out, and a lot, like any other field, that must be accepted and practiced till its necessity becomes clear.


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## homerun100 (Dec 18, 2016)

RhythmOvPain said:


> I edit by reading and replacing what doesn't feel right within each chapter.
> 
> As a story gets more cohesive you tend to need less editing on the back end where you're mostly going back to add stuff.
> 
> ...


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## K.S. Crooks (Dec 24, 2016)

It feels to me as if you're combining writing and editing. create your characters, scenes and situations. Write your story, get it all down. Whether it's done well doesn't matter. Once you finish then edit the content and language. The method I often use is to write by hand on paper and when I finish a chapter I type it into the computer. When I type I fix any error I find and this serves as a first level of editing. It makes later editing feel less daunting.


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## Jay Greenstein (Dec 24, 2016)

> Write your story, get it all down. Whether it's done well doesn't matter.


Not trying to start an argument, but I had to respond to this, because the majority of manuscripts sent me by hopeful writers were the result of this view, one I often see put forth on online writers sites. And, it is advice you'll hear from successful writers. The problem is that those writers are at a level where they know, for example, why a scene ends in disaster for the protagonist when writing for the page—and how the term, "scene" differs from one on stage and screen.

But without knowing what a publisher views as a well written scene, how can we write one? How can we present the protagonist's viewpoint if we still believe that POV and viewpoint are the same—and a matter of which personal pronouns we use? Literally half the manuscripts I saw were transcriptions of the author telling the story aloud, which can't work because storytelling is a performance art and the page reproduces neither the viaual or the audible parts of that performance. The other half were written using the nonfiction report writing skills we all learn in school. And they can't work because a report informs, and the reader is looking to be entertained.

So while I agree with you that you can't edit what you've not written, you also can't fix those things you don't recognize as a problem because you're missing knowledge of the tricks-of-the-trade the pros take for granted.

Some relevant quotes:
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”
 ~ Mark Twain

“It’s none of their business that you have to learn how to write. Let them think you were born that way.”
~Ernest Hemingway

“Self-expression without craft is for toddlers.”
~Rosanne Cash

“There are far too many would-be works of fiction in which plot and character are not revealed, but explained.”
~ Peter Miller

“Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader, not the fact that it’s raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.”
~ E. L. Doctorow

“The beautiful part of writing is that you don’t have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.”
 ~ Robert Cromier

“I write one page of masterpiece to 91 pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the waste basket...” 
~ Ernest Hemingway

Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog it’s too dark to read. 
 --Groucho Marx (1890 - 1977)


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## voltigeur (Dec 25, 2016)

> Not trying to start an argument, but I had to respond to this, because the majority of manuscripts sent me by hopeful writers were the result of this view, one I often see put forth on online writers sites.



I couldn't agree more! with this post. The thing that has helped me the most was writing my story episodically. (I'm not suggesting that.) It allowed me to break my story down in scenes and chapters. By writing shorter scenes as complete works I was able to get feed back on my writing without browbeating would be beta readers.

This only required a 5 to 10 minute read from beta readers and I could get feedback on if my writing worked. Was there investment? Was there an emotional reaction? Did they care what happened to the characters next? 

The sooner you can answer those questions the faster you will be able to write a scene and edit it. Because you will know when to ignore the online editor, and when to look at an issue and say "A ha that's why that isn't working." 

Getting a reader emotionally invested in your writing I think is where the true art is. Yes good mechanics are essential; but writing mechanics will not make a reader scream at you if you kill off their favorite character. Mechanics will not make them cheer the hero because they want to see revenge/ justice for some thing the bad guy did at the start of the story. 

If you want o be published and be great you will need to be objective about your own work and have a thick skin.

Hope this helps.


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## SystemCheck (Dec 25, 2016)

I'll keep it to the original question. How do you edit faster?

You actually *shouldn't* be considering editing until you've put everything down and then you go through with a fine-toothed comb and get the "knots" out. Most authors who are experienced have a very rough garbage draft they start out with. It is where you put everything and anything down. The characters, the storyline, the tempo, and anything else that comes to mind. One then starts trimming [/cutting] the fat as the saying goes, essentially getting rid of what you don't need, as they edit. 


So my suggestion to you is _*quit*_ editing. Just write. This editing while trying to write of yours is one of the number one reasons why people stop writing. They get frustrated, start to self-doubt themselves, their characters, the story, etc. before any more than ten chapters is written down. 

Once you have the "nitty gritty" ironed out then you go back and start fine tuning what you have. It may take you _*multiple*_ drafts to finally get something agreeable. _*Good*_ writing is not as simple as merely putting pen to paper and "letting it rip". No matter what some would be authors like to think. If it was then everyone would be millionaire best sellers.


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## voltigeur (Dec 26, 2016)

> I'll keep it to the original question. How do you edit faster?



The last 2 post are on the original question. The point of both Jay's post and mine, is that if you write cleaner, your editing will go faster because you have less to correct.


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## SystemCheck (Dec 26, 2016)

voltigeur said:


> The last 2 post are on the original question. The point of both Jay's post and mine, is that if you write cleaner, your editing will go faster because you have less to correct.



...

Given their commentary, of how they are trying to write and edit at the same time, the OP really shouldn't be trying to edit just yet. You can't, after all, edit if you don't know where you just happen to be steering the ship. That is why writers have that rough feel-it-out draft where they throw everything on paper. 

Blind editing, on the other hand, is as effective for writing as throwing paint at a wall.


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## Ultraroel (Dec 27, 2016)

SystemCheck said:


> Blind editing, on the other hand, is as effective for writing as throwing paint at a wall.



Well some canvasses like that sell for millions


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## SystemCheck (Dec 27, 2016)

Ultraroel said:


> Well some canvasses like that sell for millions



Yes, but is it *good*? 

As a friend once told me everyone can paint a line, but not just anyone can paint a Monet or van Gogh. 


Same goes with writing. Perceived fame doesn't compensate if your book isn't worth reading past page 2. There's plenty of "bestsellers" nowadays, which are only propelled above the the label of "shelf-sitter" because a known author wrote it (or for some tagged their name on), that I'd rather poke out my eyes than consider reading.


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## Terry D (Dec 27, 2016)

First off, don't worry about how fast your edits happen. Most fiction writers aren't working to a deadline, so time is not a constraint. Editing effectively is much more important than editing quickly.

How a writer handles rewrites and edits (two very different things btw) is as unique to that writer as is his voice. Ignore anyone who tries to tell you how you 'should' do it. Instead, evaluate what has worked for others and decide for yourself if those techniques suit your style. Keep in mind that there are three types of editing: editing for content, Copy editing, and proofreading. Each has a very different goal. Content editing is the level at which you make sure your story, timeline, characters, and setting are consistent and achieve what you want them to. This is where you add and subtract content based on the needs of your story. Copy editing is when you look for errors in word use, sentence/paragraph structure, language, and style. At this stage you refine your 'voice' and polish the readability of your manuscript. Proofreading is finding issues with punctuation and grammar.

Whether you decide to do these as you go -- scene by scene, or chapter by chapter -- or if you decide to wait until the entire story is down on paper (or on disc) is up to you. There are many examples of successful writers who do it both ways (and many other ways too). Try both. Try something else. See what works for you. Personally, I start each writing session with a quick read of the work I did the day before. I'll make changes that jump out at me, but, mostly, I'm just getting my head back into the story. I save most of my editing for after the book/story is complete. That works for me, but there are many, many writers who polish each scene before they move on to the next. *It is entirely your choice*.

One thing I will warn you of, however, is that few writers can effectively perform all three types of editing for their own work. Copy editing and proofreading often benefit from the fresh eyes of an outside source, be it a friend with a good grip on punctuation and grammar (a beta reader), or from a paid editor. Most of us have 'blind spots' for errors in our own writing. It is a rare author who can completely, and competently, edit their own work.

I say try a couple of methods and choose the one which works best for you.


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## ppsage (Dec 27, 2016)

> How a writer handles rewrites and edits (two very different things btw)


This is key for me. If you are truly editing, then you have to trust the writing.


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## Bard_Daniel (Dec 27, 2016)

I wouldn't try to rush the editing process. It is where the best of what you can do is going to come out if you do it effectively. Rather, focus on editing effectively-- like Terry has said.


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## bdcharles (Dec 28, 2016)

homerun100 said:


> I know that it takes times to edit your work, but sometimes I just stare at a blank screen feeling frustrated. I have something to write, but I can't seem to type those words out.  I already have a finish rough draft that needs editing, but sometimes I don't  know how to describe a particular scene, setting or my character doing some action.  My new chapter took me four weeks before I finally got it where I was nearly satisfied.  I know something belongs there and I have an idea what. It just that I can't seem to find the right words to show the scene. Am I not practicing my craft enough? I spend an hour reading six days a week and the same time for writing.  Anyone have any tips on how I can improve and maybe cut some of the frustration that I feel out of my work?



For me, the thing that has helped most is to actually speak in a way that is similar to what I want to read (aka what I want to write). I take immense joy in crafting a perfect (or as near as dammit) sentence. It's a passion, and one that comes out in speech as well as writing. If you can practise that same passion, and be cognizant of what words and what doesn't, you will improve and learn the tricks as you go. 

There is also a degree of simply becoming familiar with the tools of the trade. If you are doing too much telling over showing that may distance you from the text. If you are awash in adjectives maybe there's some scope to work on some super description. There's alot to good writing, not just banging words down or having ideas. It's a craft, as someone said above.

I would also question the notion of getting everything down first. That may work for some writers but not all. Personally I want to get each manageable block dreamed up, written down, edited, fun and perfected before moving on to the next. That way I can simply reread what I've done to get back into the mood, rather than have to reimagine it. But again, that probably says more about my mental bandwidth than about methods. Just be mindful of the various approaches available and go with what works for you.


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## bdcharles (Dec 28, 2016)

SystemCheck said:


> There's plenty of "bestsellers" nowadays, which are only propelled above the the label of "shelf-sitter" because a known author wrote it (or for some tagged their name on), that I'd rather poke out my eyes than consider reading.



On that note, in many leading bookstores, those shelves and "book charts" and coveted front table spots and so forth are paid for, indicative of nothing more than how much money the pubslisher has to spend on the product. There may be some correlation there between ready cash and quality, but it is not an ironclad guarantee.


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## ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord (Dec 28, 2016)

Oftentimes the frustration with editing is knowing something is wrong, but being unable to pinpoint the problem. If this is what you're dealing with, I would suggest some research on how stories work. 

I think of when I was trying to figure out what accent a certain character in a show had. I didn't even have the vocabulary to make an educated guess; I had to do some research on accents first, before I was able to describe it as "a non-rhotic accent with dipthongized short vowels" and finally find the region where it was from. 

It's the same way with storytelling. You have to understand the parts and pieces that make writing either good or bad before you're able to pinpoint and fix issues in your own writing. Obviously, understanding the craft is a lifelong process, but you can still be purposeful in it. Research the structure and building blocks of stories. Read good fiction, then try to discover why it is so good. Analyzing another author's work-in-progress can be useful, too, as it gives you a chance to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses from a much more objective viewpoint.


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## Jay Greenstein (Dec 28, 2016)

bdcharles said:


> On that note, in many leading bookstores, those shelves and "book charts" and coveted front table spots and so forth are paid for, indicative of nothing more than how much money the pubslisher has to spend on the product. There may be some correlation there between ready cash and quality, but it is not an ironclad guarantee.


That's not entirely true. First, the bookstore, or chain must be convinced to carry each book they say yes to. They look at the author's past sales, the market, and the book, itself. A turkey won't sell, no matter where you put it.

And sometimes, the bookstory will say, "If you buy an endcap for this book, we'll take this other one for the spot where the first one would have gone. It is a business after all. We often lose track of that, but the publisher, like any other manufacturer has as its goal staying in business through sales.


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