Edit or Revise?
Edit or Revise?
Are you receiving the right type of feedback?
New writers don't realize how much they don't know about
writing until they begin to write. Hey, it's not easy! Writing
is fun. The real work begins with revising and editing. Many
experienced writers enjoy this part best; it's where they can
get in there and tighten and polish until it shines like a gem
and is tight as a drum. Did you notice the use of cliches?
Sometimes, you just have to.
TO EDIT
Most of the reviews you receive will be editing reviews. To edit
means to polish a finished piece by changing word choices to be
more precise and concise, and to work on sentence structure, in
addition to eliminating any errors in grammar, punctuation and
mechanics.
TO REVISE
To revise means "to see again." This is at the heart of writing
well. Take a fresh look at what you have written by distancing
yourself from the work and evaluating it from a reader's point
of view. Read your reviews carefully, with an open mind. They
may show you something you hadn't realized. You may take the
character in a new direction or give him a new problem. You are
revising if you decide to kill the perpetrator instead of
letting him get away. You are changing something.
The two can overlap, but they are very different. Inexperienced
writers sometimes think they are revising when they are really
editing. You need to do both, so be careful not to confuse one
with the other. Unless you are one of the rare ones who write
the perfect first draft.
Revising comes before editing, because you can waste time
perfecting a paragraph that you later decide to delete. You can
correct errors as you move along, especially if doing so makes
you more confident or comfortable. But the more time and energy
you invest in editing early on, the harder it may be to make
major changes that would enrich your work. When something looks
perfect, you're not going to like changing it, or maybe cutting
it completely.
Writers usually benefit from setting the drafts aside for a time
so that later they can see their work more objectively. What
looks good when you are excited does not necessarily look good
the morning after.
Think beyond the first plot, character and situation idea that
popped into your head. Don't be afraid to change direction.
Originality is very important to fiction writing.
What is not on the page can be even more important than what is
there.
One of the most difficult tasks in revision is to look for what
you have left out. No matter how good a draft looks, ask
yourself if something is missing.
Share your work with other readers and ask them to let you know
if there is anything they find confusing or want to know more
about. Providing readers with this kind of specific direction
can get you a much more focused review than simply asking "What
do you think?" When not given direction, some readers may keep
reservations to themselves because they suspect they are being
asked to approve a finished product.
Checklist for Revising.
Is the purpose clear? Does the work stick to its purpose?
Does it address the appropriate audience?
Is the tone appropriate for the purpose, audience, and occasion?
Is the subject focused?
Does it make a clear point?
Is each paragraph unified and coherent?
Does the work follow an effective method of development?
Is the beginning effective?
Is the ending effective?