In her post on useful writing websites, Margo Roby mentioned Kristin Lamb, author of We Are Not Alone, http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/editing-meet-the-novel-killer-2/ and I dutifully went to read it.
Kristen says “editing too early can kill a novel. Yes, editing can be devastating to shorter works, but doesn’t have quite the killing power it possesses when introduced into longer works. In a novel that can span anywhere from 60-120,000 words (depending on genre), editing can be catastrophic if done at the wrong phase.”
I replied “Your constantly-tweaking-nervously-editing-on-the-hoof writer sounds just like me. Which might explain why I have 3 novellas which should have been novels and a 25000 word memoir sitting in abandoned files on my computer. I mostly write poetry, with rather more success, but I really do want to finish an adventure story I have been writing for my grandson. I will have a try at the let-it-all-hang-out technique, and see if it works. Looking back on this post I find I have deleted/inserted/rearranged/corrected/re-written it for the last 10 minutes. Am I incorrigible?”
I’ll give it a go.
What do others think?
Vivinfrance's Blog 
Think of it this way: When we write prose, the process is similar to a freewrite, but with a topic, so a guided freewrite. If our brain is focused on editing/correcting, then it isn’t completely focused on the story. We are putting chains on the brain. If we let the editor/censor go and just write the story, who knows what directions the story might take or what gems might be discovered. Editing will always be there waiting, but the story might not be, if we don’t give it free rein. And, yes, there are people who can write and edit on the go but I’ll bet most of the story was laid out in their minds, or an outline first.
mrgo
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Viv, I read Kristin Lamb’s article and have to admit, it’s something I never considered. I do editing as I go along because my typing and spelling are so bad it might not be legible otherwise.
I’ve never worried about unexpected twists, turns or characters. When things take off on their own, I’m thrilled because I know that my subconscious (muse?) is kicking in. Those times are always the best of my writing, short form or novel.
My going back after finishing a chapter is usually to remove the superfluous wordage, not change any of the plot line. Still, leaving them alone until the first draft is finished wouldn’t hurt anything. The difference between how Kristin Lamb and I edit isn’t our most profound difference. She is a published writer—I’m not.
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Mike, when things take off do you write without worrying about editing and then come back to the writing when things slow down? I’m curious as to your mind’s process when writing prose and whether what I say below is somewhat in line.
margo
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I was also going to mention nanowrimo.
What can I tell you? It’s about self-discipline: forcing yourself to just sit down and get on with it, re-drafting the old. If you really want to, you will.
I am completely lacking in self-discipline when it comes to submitting. I could do with a good kick up the backside. Got a spare foot going?
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I have a different approach to editing .. I do not do it , unless I am finished with the post and kept it aside for about a day ,,, It always is a new look when you revisit a writing ..
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I feel like that’s totally individual preference. When I write my novels I always reread and edit what I’ve written in the last session. That’s what helps me to move along. I do have to beware of fastidious over-editing at this phase, though.
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I think the OU theory was to edit after leaving it aside for a time, wasn’t it? There was a lecture on a cd about this if I remember. It might be worth your ferreting it out and having another listen? If I’m writing something longer than the posts I now write for my blog I save a new version with each edit so that I don’t just delete some of the initial stuff and I don’t do it as I go along. Well, not much! It works much better for me if I put it aside for a while and then edit.
However an extremely successful author I know edits his stuff as he writes and even his editor has almost nothing to do. It comes out pretty well ‘done’ onto the page.
So I guess everyone’s different. I still think in the computer age, however, that one should try to keep discarded stuff separately until one’s satisfied with the edited piece.
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I remember that, Earlybird, but we didn’t always have time for that method between assignments, specially with A363, and looking over some of that old stuff, the editing seemed pretty reasonable – I did have the benefit of Tillybud and Harry Nicholson on the critiquing forum. Nowadays I am more inclined to look at old poetry with fresh eyes,.
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Hi Viv,
I took part in NaNoWrimo last year where the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. The guidelines say, just write, don’t edit, as the time for editing is when the 30 days and hopefully the first draft of your novel is done.
Well, I had never written anything longer that a blog post before! but I wholeheartedly chucked myself in at the deep end. 🙂
At the end of the 30 days I ended up with 76,000 words! Which became the first draft of my novel.
I put it away for a while…I was wordblind! I also had no idea if my story was any good, as I hadn’t read any of it, I had just written! Well the first read through left me exhilarated (I’d done it!) and happy with my story – but I chopped it down to 69,000 words. I could tell the times that I was just ‘filling’ to meet my daily wordcount.
The edits continue!
What I am trying to say I think, is that if I hadn’t have done it that way, I wouldn’t have done it! I would have been too caught up in rereading and editing to get the story finished.
Well, the first one (Learning how to fly a kite) is almost finished now. My neice and her fresh eyes, is doing the final edit and catching the things I missed, and I am gearing up to Nanowrimo in November this year! When hopefully my second novel will be born the same way. 🙂
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I did Nanowrimo three years ago, and one of my unfinished novels dates from that time – I have to confess that I did minor editing each day. I looked at it again last year and did a fair bit of editing, with a view to submitting it, but it is stalled now. It will do me good to do Nano again this year, now that I am no longer studying.
Good luck with both your novels.
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