Some thoughts about editing

Self editing was a challenge for me. But, I'm learning to appreciate the editing process. Why? Most importantly, it helps to refine writing skills. While it requires a lot of time, it is the 90% perspiration that comes after the 10% inspiration.

I think it is also healthy to recognize that self editing is only the beginning of the editing process. There are independent editors who will help to identify problems with a manuscript. I am open to using an independent editor, but it also pays to find an independent editor who can help move a career forward. Then, there are editors who work for the publisher. This is the final steps before a book is formatted for printing. Just to be clear, publishers do want clean copy, but most manuscripts do require editing.

Since writing the draft manuscript, I have removed most of the original basis for the story which is the short story entitled The Vase. This may seem odd, but in this particular case, the short story no longer advanced the story line that evolved. It became a distraction for the reader, so I took it out. The story reads much better and the first 50 pages are now very specific to developing the principle characters of the story. The value of the original short story remains. It was the impetus for developing the larger story and it remains a stand alone short story.

Similarly, I created a very detailed backstory about Art's great, great grandfather. This was written in the second revision as a prologue with an epilog at the end of the story to complete the backstory. This was eventually removed as it was not consistent with the mood of the main story. It was an important step nonetheless as it helped to develop the overall story, but it also revealed a bit too much, taking away some of the mystery.

I believe the main story line is now much stronger. Yes, it was painful to remove thousands of words, some of which were painstakingly crafted, but it did improve the forward momentum and overall style consistency of the main story.

The basic principle involved in the editing process can be described very easily. If it does not advance the story, take it out.