{"id":206,"date":"2024-02-27T20:24:14","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T20:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/?p=206"},"modified":"2024-02-23T20:37:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-23T20:37:36","slug":"how-to-begin-self-editing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/2024\/02\/27\/how-to-begin-self-editing\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Begin Self-Editing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mikaela Schmierer<\/h2>\n\n\n
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STEP 1:<\/strong> \u201cNow finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.\u201d (2 Corinthians 8:11)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A finished manuscript or rough draft must be completed to begin the editing process. This will help to cut out unnecessary and excessive editing during the writing process to detract from the overall story. Although you may want to edit or completely rewrite a scene, hold off on that feeling and finish the scene or chapter as close to your intended plot arc as possible. If the need to edit or rewrite persists, I recommend using a second document as a placeholder and comparing the two written versions. A fully-fledged manuscript before beginning editing will also help maintain consistency in voice, style, diction, and a thorough plot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STEP 2<\/strong>:\u00a0 \u201cProofreading\u2026 is a basic and mechanical process.\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n
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The editing process should feel rudimentary, simple even as you begin to sort through your work. To start editing, read through the manuscript entirely, either printed or online, based on which is better for you. When you read through, you want to have a couple of things at your disposal and ready for the read-through, such as a highlighter, a pencil or underlining tool, and something to take notes on, like sticky notes. You should focus on three main things as you read through your rough draft. Grammar and punctuation will be principal elements you look for and will notice immediately. Voice and style, however, might be tricky to keep tabs on. To help keep your story clear and concise as you edit and revise, I suggest keeping a system with notes and ideas either online or on an easily discernible notepad\u2013 you do not want to lose this! Another aspect you want to keep an eye out for is tense and perspective. If you switch between them in the work, you want to ensure it is continuous and consistent\u2013 such as flashbacks or prologues. Otherwise, pick the tense that makes the most sense for your writing style and the story itself. <\/p>\n\n\n

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STEP 3:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u201cPerfect is the enemy of good.\u201d \u2013Voltaire<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After considering the essential editing elements, your first draft\u2019s new layout and document will be pretty messy. But do not fear! The first draft, the second draft, and even the fifth draft will not be perfect. A good reminder in the earlier stages of self-editing is to have grace with yourself and to trust the process. The proverb \u201cconsistency is key\u201d is a highly regarded phrase for a reason. Messiness isn\u2019t always bad; it can lead to patterns and ideas being more exposed from your work than you initially noticed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

STEP 4:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u201cA schedule defends from chaos and whim.\u201d \u2013Annie Dillard<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Getting to your first draft and setting aside time to edit can seem daunting, but let\u2019s reshape the approach to the revision process as just that. Processes are meant to take time, and if they\u2019re finished during the first attempt, you risk overlooking details that can be vital to the work. Having a schedule or game plan, as basic or detailed as you like, can be a great tool. One way to approach a schedule can look like setting aside thirty minutes a day to crack open your manuscript, reading through a couple of pages at a time, and making some marks or notes. Another way could be going through a chapter or section per day. At least having a schedule will help relieve some stress and anxiety surrounding wrestling with the editing process, offering options such as revising characters and settings to redoing entire scenes. This is all according to your timetable and how much time you want to set aside. That way, you have control over the entirety of your work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STEP 5:\u00a0 <\/strong>\u201cComparison is the thief of joy.\u201d \u2013 Theodore Roosevelt<\/h3>\n\n\n
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Once self-editing has begun, it is important to remember that your work is yours, the writing will be distinctly individual, and other\u2019s works will vary in audience and recognition because their works are starkly theirs. Try your best to maintain confidence in yourself and your ability to write. While going through the editing process, keep your mind set on the story you want to tell and not how it compares to other works. Worry and nitpicking won\u2019t help in the end regarding the final product, so keep your head high and aim for the stars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Works Cited<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Bible<\/em>. YouVersion. NIV, 1 Corinthians. https:\/\/www.bible.com\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dreyer, Benjamin. Dreyer\u2019s English\u202f: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style<\/em>. Random House Publishing Group, 2019, pp. 9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dillard, Annie. The Writing Life<\/em>. HarperCollins Publishers, 2009, pp. 32.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mikaela Schmierer STEP 1: \u201cNow finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.\u201d (2 Corinthians 8:11) A finished manuscript or rough draft must be completed to begin the editing process. This will help to cut out unnecessary and excessive editing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[20,15],"class_list":["post-206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-editing","tag-writing-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=206"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":213,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/206\/revisions\/213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.calbaptist.edu\/dazed-starling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}