A Note on Self-Editing
Hey, everyone!
Hazel Here...
Firstly, sorry for the silence. I know it has been a while. But I'm back and I've got lots of exciting new things to share with you, so you're gonna want to stay tuned! Connect with me on Instagram @hazeldains or visit my Facebook Page
Why the Silence?
Well, I've been focusing hardcore on getting my debut novel polished off! Let me tell you a little about it: It's called "The Danger of Exposure", it's a science fiction novel set about a teenager who is stuck living in a wooden village 200 kilometres from any form of civilization. Over the past week or so I've been sending proposals to publishers and literary agents, so hopefully I'll hear back from one viable option in the coming week.s
I know exciting, right? I had my first draft finished mid-September and since then I've been editing it myself, which isn't a chore for the weak-at-heart.
My Experiences to do with Self-Editing
It is really hard to self-edit your own novel. Why is that you might ask.... well because you have lived in the world of your novel for so long that no matter how inconsistent the manuscript is, it always makes sense to you.
So, is self-editing a bad idea? ----No, not necessarily.
You just have to be aware of the difficulty that you might encounter and overcome that. How? Well, here are a few pointers:
1) Make every single Word Compete for its spot in your book. I know this sounds really difficult and tedious, but it is so necessary. Analyze every single word, phrase, and sentence and ask yourself, does this further my plot or develop my characters? If not, get rid of it.
2) Read as if you've never read it before. You want to approach your book from the standpoint of a customer at a book store. Ask questions about your plot. Make sure that your characters would actually think, say and do the things that you're making them think, say, and do. Ask yourself, do the backstories make sense, and are you giving your readers the right amount of information? (ie., not enough information and the reader is confused, too much and they don't need to read any further).
3) Stay away from your manuscript for at least two weeks after you're done writing: Give yourself some distance from the characters and writing so that when you are reading it again, your perspective is closer to that of a potential reader. (ie., you forget some aspects of your own book after a while).
The above pointers are by no means a crash course on how to self-edit, they are just a few casual pointers to get you thinking about the process.
If you want to learn more about self-editing, I would encourage you to visit the professionals at Stonecreek Editing Services
