How to Edit A Rough Draft of Fiction. Writing Tips By Writer Patty by Patty Schuyler
Coming to the end of a rough draft is exhilarating thing. You now know that you can do it that you have done it. The fact that you have created a complete novel is something that does not get old even after completing many novels. Every rough draft will need to be edited no matter how good you think you are at the writing process. Some of the steps involved in editing will go quicker than others if you have a good grasp of the basics such as grammar formatting punctuation.
The editing process can be compared to cleaving cutting polishing a diamond. Diamonds take a long time to form when they are mined form earth they are rough but still beautiful. Each stage in the process is important essential to getting the most potential out of the tough gem.
Cleaving is the part of editing that can be started just after you have typed the end. This is where you step back take a look at the large picture. This is what is called macro editing. Do you feel satisfied with your ending at that very moment Are there scenes that you will need to insert to make more sense out of your ending Do you have a character that you need to develop more or one that you need to get rid of all together
It is best not to make any of those changes right then. The diamond cleaver turns the rough gem in his hand makes observations sets the diamond in a type of cement walks away from it letting it cool. I suggest writing your observations to do list down in notes backup your draft once more then not looking at it for a minimum of thirty days.
During that waiting period relax celebrate but also start working on a new project. Work on rough notes an outline for a new book or if you do not have an idea for a new story find writing prompts exercises that will challenge you possibly give you some ideas. A week before you start editing spend some time reading advice from others on the editing process.
When you come back to the manuscript read it all the way through. You will have a fresh perspective on it you can start working on those notes that you made earlier with confidence precision. Tweak your ending adjust your beginning remove those characters or scenes that don't further the plot add the small foreshadowing details that add depth to the story give more meaning to the ending. When you are done put the manuscript away again. For a day a week or longer if you need to come back to it ready to do the micro editing.
Writer Patty has spent a lot of time researching practicing the art of good fiction writing. She has put together a webpage to gather all her fiction writing tips together to share with aspiring fiction writers. You'll find great fiction writing tips here. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service How to Edit A Rough Draft of Fiction. Writing Tips By Writer Patty
