The importance of editing and revision – Part three
Once I start writing a book, I usually edit at least a little as I go. Sometimes this involves checking over just one chapter, sometimes two or three, once these are done. This is if I want to assess how it’s all going, assess whether everything flows properly or if a section doesn’t feel right in some way, before I move on to the next part. I’m able to do this because I know what will happen next in the plot. To a certain extent, I’m merely expanding on the outline I created, filling in details, adding description, dialogue, action and so on. Does the outline change as I progress? Absolutely, although usually not too dramatically. There will invariably be parts of the story that may not work as well as you thought they would, new ideas that emerge as you write or you may simply have a new take on a situation you’ve already created.
Yet the outlines always serve as a valuable guide and ensure that the general flow of the story is well mapped out. You may, of course, still change your mind about certain aspects of the story as you write it, but hopefully you can avoid the situation where you’ve produced ten chapters, then decide to scrap everything you’ve composed, because you’ve had a great new idea. This new inspiration, however, might actually be part of another book altogether and be ill suited to your current project. Pre-planning may not be for everyone, but it will often help you maintain your focus, enabling you to get your book to the finish line.
I’ve provided substantive and copy editing services for many other writers over the years. This has been for novels, short stories, fiction, nonfiction, biographies, inspirational books and many other genres. You can view details of some of the projects that I’ve worked on here.
