I sometimes feel like a lot of writers of the modern age think good works of literature comes with the first draft. And after the first draft is written you leave the work alone.
Somehow the art of editing and rewriting drafts have been forgotten and degraded into something uncompletely "unnecessary".
And I think creative writing is to blame.
Have editing become a lost art form?
How many rewrites (average) do you do before releasing something?
What are your best editing tips?
My tips:
After first draft take a break.
Go back fix all typos and grammatical flaws.
Take a break.
Now try to remove as much text as possible still maintaining the core.
Also ask yourself: 'What is the core?'
Take a break.
Review your characters and their motives.
Review your characters and their dialogue along with their motives.
Take a break.
Look at the opening. Is it good enough to guarantee to hook the reader.
Are there especially good passages in my text. What other passages can be bettered?
Take a break.
Read it out loud a couple of times.
Take a break.
Share your story to someone who has the guts to criticise you.
Cry.
Take a break.
And so it goes on. Sometimes I let my work just sit unfinished for 2 weeks or 4 weeks, in the meantime I write on other works.
Then I come back and suddenly have a totally different perspective. Sometimes its better and sometimes its just shit.
Somehow the art of editing and rewriting drafts have been forgotten and degraded into something uncompletely "unnecessary".
And I think creative writing is to blame.
Have editing become a lost art form?
How many rewrites (average) do you do before releasing something?
What are your best editing tips?
My tips:
After first draft take a break.
Go back fix all typos and grammatical flaws.
Take a break.
Now try to remove as much text as possible still maintaining the core.
Also ask yourself: 'What is the core?'
Take a break.
Review your characters and their motives.
Review your characters and their dialogue along with their motives.
Take a break.
Look at the opening. Is it good enough to guarantee to hook the reader.
Are there especially good passages in my text. What other passages can be bettered?
Take a break.
Read it out loud a couple of times.
Take a break.
Share your story to someone who has the guts to criticise you.
Cry.
Take a break.
And so it goes on. Sometimes I let my work just sit unfinished for 2 weeks or 4 weeks, in the meantime I write on other works.
Then I come back and suddenly have a totally different perspective. Sometimes its better and sometimes its just shit.