Editing Tricks
- J A Myers
- Jul 20, 2017
- 2 min read
Editing can sometimes feel like a mammoth task, it can be overwhelming when you have 180+ pages. I have felt the same thing while looking at my novels. The word count is even scarier to look at.
But....
Today might be your lucky day! Stick with me and I will try my best to give you all the tips I picked up along my way.
1-
Open up your document. Then just take a moment. Have a stretch, go to the loo, get a drink. Just take a moment to settle your mind. It will help in the long run. Forget everything else, because editing takes all of your mental power. You have to feel focused. You have to be focused. And you have to be comfortable. Make sure everything is set up. These are a few little things to help you get started.
2-
Try and take regular breaks. Once you feel like your just skimming the words, pause for a few minutes, but make sure you go back to it. Try not to leave your desk, just close your eyes for a few moments. Clear your brain again, and get focused again. Obviously, no one can sit at a desk and not move all day, but just try not to get too distracted from the editing. But if you feel like you don't want to carry on, then stop. There is no point going back because you won't be focused enough.
Editing does take a lot of power. You have to pay attention, you have to know what you are looking for.
3-
Make a list of the things you are looking for. I have found going chapter by chapter looking at the different categories is easier than doing the whole book at once. So, you might be looking at imagery or punctuation. I would copy and paste the chapter I was looking at into a different word document and go from there. This separates it from the rest and doesn't seem as scary.
4-
Put something on in the background. I usually put on some music or a movie. I suggest something you have watched before. I don't know why this helps, but I feel uncomfortable in silence, its harder for me to work without something in the background. It's almost like fiddling with something when I'm reading. It helps me concentrate, it's strange but it does work.
These are just a few of the basics. I will add more on later, and I'll look at the specific types of editing as well at a later date so stay tuned!
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