Favorite approaches to editing?

[syn4321]

For my past thirty or so stories, my approach to editing has just been to go over and over each story myself multiple times until I like it a lot. I'm not that worried about making a minor grammar mistake. I'm more concerned about using editing to improve the plot or the dialogue--or the narrator sharing his or her own thoughts. I guess this is working well for me, as my stories seem to be much better received than the average stories in the category I've been sticking to mostly (Interracial), and my follower count has been climbing. Usually if there's a negative comment it's from some shmuck who should have read my "warning" up top but didn't... But I'm toying with the idea of looking for an editor who might still be able to up my game. Someone who would be bold and brazen enough to suggest a new adjective or an added phrase--or rework a bit of dialogue. Someone top flight.
Any suggestions?

 

[Jmanchu]

For me? Similar thing. I'll usually edit as I go along, like after I write a bit, I might check what I've got in terms of flow, dialogue, etc. Then sometimes when inspiration hits and I like a new idea better, I might do a rewrite(or put it in a note for the new draft at least). Then when I finish what I've got, I just do what you do there, read it, reread it, edit, sometimes rewrite some parts, or even the entire thing over. Then after that get someone else to edit it or read it to give their inputs, usually volunteer editor/beta reader here, or a friend.

 

[Rob_Royale]

My best tool is the read-aloud function of my MSWord365. It's under the Review tab on the left side of the action bar. The ability to hear the story vice reading it, catches so much more than I'd dreamed it could. Now I do about three editing read-throughs, mostly for the sake of the flow, or better wording, and then an audio check. Depending on my level of concentration, sometimes I'm one and done with that step.

 

[Cagivagurl]

For my past thirty or so stories, my approach to editing has just been to go over and over each story myself multiple times until I like it a lot. I'm not that worried about making a minor grammar mistake. I'm more concerned about using editing to improve the plot or the dialogue--or the narrator sharing his or her own thoughts. I guess this is working well for me, as my stories seem to be much better received than the average stories in the category I've been sticking to mostly (Interracial), and my follower count has been climbing. Usually if there's a negative comment it's from some shmuck who should have read my "warning" up top but didn't... But I'm toying with the idea of looking for an editor who might still be able to up my game. Someone who would be bold and brazen enough to suggest a new adjective or an added phrase--or rework a bit of dialogue. Someone top flight.
Any suggestions?

Get an editor....
It is the best thing I ever did.
I was fortunate that possibly the best editor available on Literotica was gracious enough to help me.
It totally opened my eyes. She saw all my mistakes, ignored them and offered solutions and mentored me.
My advice is.... Find a good editor, and then listen to their advice.
Having the best in your corner is of no value if you don't listen.
Cagivagurl

 

[karina_jayde]

After getting my writing quota for the day, I take a break, and then do a quick proofread for about 30 minutes, starting from the beginning. I make a note where I left off and continue the proofread from that point on the next day. If I happen to catch up to where the story left off before the time limit, I start the proofread cycle over, but still making a note of where that cycle ended.

Once a story is finished, I set it aside completely for a week. This helps keep it fresh for the next more detailed readthrough. For more thorough edits, I use the text to speech function. Usually each story gets at least one text to speech edit pass.

After that is done, I read the story backwards, paragraph by paragraph. This makes it harder to immerse in the narrative flow but since you're focused more on just the mechanics of language and not flow, I often catch more typos that way.

Then once the backwards pass is done, I do another start to finish pass. If it's a shorter story, I might do multiple passes depending on time.

 

[SimonDoom]

I edit a lot as I go, and frequently re-read portions of what I've written and edit and re-write. I do this more now than in the past, because I write more slowly than before and sometimes take extended breaks before returning to a story.

When I'm done, I usually do a re-read, proof, and edit of the entire story.

When I'm nearly done I run it through Word's grammar and editing tools. Then do a final proof, and submit.

 

[luv2custrip]

Read through about ninety times in one day. Still miss one glaring error everyone comments on.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

For Literotica, I do my own structural editing during the writing process. I frequently find scenes needing to be repositioned as the story develops so doing so as I write works best for me.

Copy editing is done through a combination of tools, such as Grammarly, and beta readers.

Proof editing is done by listening to the story as it is read back to me through either Word, or an online application.

 

[KeithD]

I don't review while drafting. I push to write to an ending. I let it sit at least overnight before reviewing it. I limit the number of reviews I do to keep it as close to the original spontaneity as possible. I don't trim in a review; I add.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

For my past thirty or so stories, my approach to editing has just been to go over and over each story myself multiple times until I like it a lot. I'm not that worried about making a minor grammar mistake.

Grammar and typo fixing is not editing. It's proofing.

As for editing, I edit as I go. I think that a lot of writers do. I would say that I spend somewhere near half of my drafting time actually editing. I will write a paragraph or two, or less, a few lines, maybe even one line, then read back and edit. Then continue on and read back and re-edit what I had previously edited.

Then I do final editing. This will be numerous read throughs, looking for stuff that doesn't sound or feel right. I don't delete much in final editing, but that's because I've done so much editing while drafting and when something needs to be seriously trimmed it usually gets done there.

Anything over 10k words is great to have a reliable beta reader (someone who is not a cheerleader for you) give feedback before final read throughs and edits. Can't always find a good beta though.

 

[StillStunned]

Grammar and typo fixing is not editing. It's proofing.

Definitions vary. The stages that are often described as line editing and copy editing in fiction are generally, in my experience as a professional editor, called copy editing and proofreading in international business communications, and mostly just lumped together as "editing".

The proofing or proofreading stage that you get with fiction publication and anything requiring a proper layout is almost non-existent in my line of work, but as an editor I'll fact-check and give feedback about inconsistencies and outright mistakes, as well as often rewriting the entire text to make it more readable and professional.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Definitions vary. The stages that are often described as line editing and copy editing in fiction are generally, in my experience as a professional editor, called copy editing and proofreading in international business communications, and mostly just lumped together as "editing".

The proofing or proofreading stage that you get with fiction publication and anything requiring a proper layout is almost non-existent in my line of work, but as an editor I'll fact-check and give feedback about inconsistencies and outright mistakes, as well as often rewriting the entire text to make it more readable and professional.

But as the rest of us amateurs here have to do it all ourselves, reading through for grammar spelling and punctuation is a separate deal from actual changes to the story, word flow and style edits. I only say this because whenever editing discussions come up I can tell that certain folks seem to think that editing is just grammar proofing. When people often say around here stuff like "For edits I just run it through grammarly" means that there are folks here that just do not understand about actual editing. They think that editing is just proofing. That is why I make the distinction here.

 

[AG31]

I spend a lot of time in the night thinking about the wording to describe small aspects of my story. I often revisit it for this kind of editing after it's been published. Smashwords makes it very easy to publish new versions. I only re-publish here on Lit if the changes are substantive, just to avoid clogging the pipes.

Before I publish a story for the first time I always give it to at least one of the people I've found over the years who enjoy the editing process and at least understand my intentions, even if we don't share tastes. These are usually people that I can reciprocate with editing. I'm looking for both proofing and finding things like repetition, lack of clarity, clunkiness, etc.

 

[jehoram]

You're talking about self-editing, it seems. I usually go over a story many times, until I have nothing to add. Then I go over it once more, throwing things out, until I have nothing left to subtract. After that, I send it to my editor, and she'll tell me what isn't clear, mistakes in naming or numbering that I haven't caught, and so on. Then she sends it back to me for submission.

When I'm editing another person's story, I point out mistakes in spelling or phrasing, and mark the portions where I'm not clear what's happening or why. But I try to leave the "voice" of the writer intact.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I use the read-aloud as well, but everything I write goes to my publisher/editor for review now, even if I'm not going to put it up for sale until after an event or contest here. Though most of my work comes here after it's been up for sale for some time. The exceptions are the 750-word stories; they go up here and are only part of larger stories.

 

[Seadog777]

I use Microsoft Word Editor.
My wife and neighbor read my stories as well, before they're published.

Stuff is always going to get through.
Nothing is 100% effective.

My advice is to not sweat about it that much.

 

[BobbyBrandt]

In the publishing world, there are typically six types of editing to consider:

1. Developmental editing
2. Structural or Evaluation editing
3. Content editing
4. Line editing
5. Copy editing
6. Proof Reading

In my case, the first two are usually performed by my agent before submitting anything to an acquisition editor at a publisher. The publisher will assign the remaining editor(s).

As I mentioned earlier, I do most of the editing of my stories here myself, with the help of AI tools and beta readers.

 

[KeithD]

Grammar and typo fixing is not editing. It's proofing.

Well, no. It's review. Technically, proofreading is comparing "live" (a new version) copy against "dead" (a previous version) and noting the specific differences. If you "fix" (or mess with) your own live copy in anyway, you are reviewing or revising.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I have a rolling edit process. Before each writing session I'll read over the previous five hundred or so words, correcting typos, misspellings, that kind of thing. Proofreading, to keep Pink Silk Glove's separation of duties. That also refreshes my mind as to the flow of the story, where it's going in terms of characters, story, the plot; but most importantly, to get what I call "the cadence and cascade" of the prose right: its beat, the rhythm, the musicality. I sometimes refer to it as the "song" of the prose. That's where I pay most attention, to the words and phrases: repetition where I want it, find another word where I don't, make it flow.

By the time a long story is written, the early parts will have been reread maybe forty or fifty times, and I know that the text is clean, and makes sense.

I'll frequently change the size, colour, and the font itself, during writing, to force my brain to see it differently. That flushes out most of the things I might otherwise miss, missing words, doubled up words. Word spellchecker catches the rest. I'll often put content through a word cloud, which is handy for finding unwanted repetition.

I used grammarly once or twice, just to see what everyone was on about, five years ago. It might be okay for bland business writing if you can't already do that, but I don't think it's useful for fiction at all. It wants to make every sentence read like a business report, if you slavishly follow its suggestions. I can see why it's so problematic as part of the current AI debate.

 

[Djmac1031]

Read through about ninety times in one day. Still miss one glaring error everyone comments on.

God I fucking hate that

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Stuff is always going to get through.
Nothing is 100% effective.

Yes, there's always a typo or two - an it's where it should have been its, a to where it should have been too, a missed comma before the closing quote on dialogue, etc.

But plot holes shouldn't get through. Continuity errors shouldn't get through. Characters with ambiguous motive shouldn't get through. If this is happening, the editing process is heavily lacking. And really that's just lack of patience. Writing is fun. Editing is boring. At least that's how many see it. Editing is also that big snarly junkyard dog between the author and his instant gratification feedback, comments and Red H. Can't we just skip that part? Again that's how many see it. Folks who write this way will never be more than hobby writers. To be at that next level one has to embrace editing as part of the craft, part of the fun, to understand that the satisfaction of a finished product that meets higher standards is a better feeling of its own.

 

[Seadog777]

Yes, there's always a typo or two - an it's where it should have been its, a to where it should have been too, a missed comma before the closing quote on dialogue, etc.

But plot holes shouldn't get through. Continuity errors shouldn't get through. If this is happening, the editing process is heavily lacking. And really that's just lack of patience. Writing is fun. Editing is boring. At least that's how many see it. Editing is also that big snarly junkyard dog between the author and his instant gratification feedback, comments and Red H. Can't we just skip that part? Again that's how many see it. Folks who write this way will never be more than hobby writers. To be at that next level one has to embrace editing as part of the craft, part of the fun, to understand that the satisfaction of a finished product that meets higher standards is a better feeling of its own.

I'd venture to say that most people on this site are "hobby writers".
It's not like anything on here is going to be winning any Pulitzers' or anything. LOL.

I try my best to make sure that there aren't too many mistakes in my own, but, it is what it is.

I write for fun.

 

[MillieDynamite]

One site has the Clitorides Awards LOL!!! I have been nominated but never won shit there.

I'd venture to say that most people on this site are "hobby writers".
It's not like anything on here is going to be winning any Pulitzers' or anything. LOL.

I try my best to make sure that there aren't too many mistakes in my own, but, it is what it is.

I write for fun.

 

[Seadog777]

One site has the Clitorides Awards LOL!!! I have been nominated but never won shit there.

What awards are those???

 

[MillieDynamite]

I haven't a clue, I didn't win, remember! We could have the Golden Phallus Award for men and the Platinum Pussy Award for women here, I reckon!

What awards are those???