I am in need of support group! Not Overeaters Anonymous (although on this blog I’ve talked about the similarities I’ve encountered on my weight loss journey and my writing journey several times) but in this case I am in need of the wisdom and courage of my fellow writers, and a place where we can share.
Do any of you know where there is a meeting of Over-Editing Anonymous?
Some will hate me when I say this, but I love to revise. As long as I have words on the page, I can usually sit my butt down and work -- sometimes for hours. I think this has to do with my fixer personality. I am a problem-solver. Give me something to work with and my brain spins into gear.
Give me the blank page, or the need to complete a first draft and... well, it’s not a pretty picture.
You may not think this is a problem, but as with any obsession habit, it certainly can be. For instance, I recently have taken to writing shorts and children’s picture books just so it’s easier for me to revise. Every sentence, phrase and even word -- sometimes multiple times. And then, I still have trouble stopping.
Every day I learn some nugget of wisdom on blogs, newsletters, chats and workshops regarding the craft of writing. I am constantly learning, which is a good thing, but then I feel the need to apply this new nugget. I am not necessarily looking for perfection but rather reading more work and saying, it could be better. That’s likely another piece of my personality, the never-quite-good-enough piece. How many revision are enough? When do you call it quits and submit?
I started a revision of my first manuscript, a 100,000 word novel and I knew going in that I wanted to edit and rewrite, applying much of the wisdom I’ve learned since writing this story. Some scenes are turning out better, but yesterday, after spending several hours on a rewrite the day before, I read the original scene and realized it was better than the new scene, needing only minor tweaking.
So you see it can be a big problem. I need OA. Or at the very least a workshop geared to knowing when to quit revising and submit.
For now, I’ve found deadlines are my coping mechanism tool. Real ones, like a contest deadline, or my own imaginary deadlines. I call it - The Suck it Up, and Submit, even though it’s only been through 14 revisions. Or another favorite self-imposed deadline - Step Away From the Keyboard and Send it Already.
Another strategy I’ve learned but don’t apply enough is printing out the draft, revising on paper. Part of this is the waste of ink and paper, but seriously I need to tell myself, that’s better than the more precious commodity, my work hours and possibly my sanity. Reading from paper, helps me to step back and look at the words at a distance -- more objectively. If I simply open the document on the computer I start to revise and revise and revise without reading the whole scene, or chapter or piece.
So for now, I’ll keep working my program toward recovery.
Maybe some of you have other wiser ideas or advise on how to deal with the over-editing dilemma. I am all ears and ready to try almost anything. Feel free to comment.
First of all, congratulations on your award! That's the best way to learn you did an excellent job of editing something!
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about over-editing because I must have revised my first chapter about a thousand times by now. Have you ever heard of the insecure writers' support group? I didn't join because I didn't want to admit I'm that insecure about my writing. Sometimes the only way I can decide if some part of my book is good enough is to put it on my blog with a prize for comments.
One thing that worked for my last round of editing was to mark the page where I finished and scroll through fast until I hit that page so I wouldn't reread until the writing sat long enough that I could find the real mistakes instead of imagined ones. But now, having a critique group is doing just as well to force me to move forward. I hope we can help each other in that regard.
I agree Sheryl, having a critique group helps immensely. I don't feel I am spinning my wheels after I get my work critique. It gives me a focus and a direction, which is far better than nit picking each word. Thanks for stopping by and for forming our wonderful and supportive group.
DeleteI'd like to be a charter member of your OA club. We can have a secret handshake and everything! Like you, I don't know when to quit. But I promise, I'm working on the last revision for my WIP...
ReplyDeleteBut I have to say one POSITIVE thing about your OA affliction--when you've helped me, you are so spot on! So maybe it's not so bad...
Secret handshake, great idea. And maybe a pact as to how many revisions are allowed. LOL. Thanks for stopping by and reading my work. Helps to put the brakes on my revision train.
DeleteHi Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteLoved the post. Aaagh! Sadly it reminds me of me. I heard someone once say somethign like - you keep revising and editing, and revising, and editing, and.... and one day you just have to stop. Could it better? Probably. Could it be tweaked again? - probably - but one day you just have to stop - ha,ha. I'm nearly there....again
Kylie, thanks for stopping by and I will try to incorporate your strategy - pick a day and just stop. LOL
DeleteDeadlines, yes, they're the greatest incentive!
ReplyDeleteI edit best on paper still. You're right about the paper and ink though, especially on the larger WIP's versus a 2-3k draft article.
Good luck with your support group!
I really like Sher's idea of posting as a blog with a prze for comments. And Sandy's secret handshake ... just too funny!
Trisha thanks for stopping by and let me know if you try out Sher's idea of the blog post with comments.
DeleteDeadlines are the best incentive for me. Enter your manuscript in a contest or even (looking over shoulder and lowering voice) sub the first three chapters and make sure the rest of the manuscript is ready to go should you receive a request for the rest.
ReplyDeleteWhen you're editing and revising do you get to the stage where you're just messing around with word choice? That's a clear sign that it's time to hit send :)
Good luck!
Thanks for stopping by Shelley, yes I do mess around with word choice, but I do that with each revision. It fits when I am writing picture books, but no so good on a 100K novel. LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm from the other side of the coin, I hate to edit. HOwver, being dyslexic, I have not choice because I never see half the typos, or the out-of-order words, senteces or even paragraphs. If you don't want to print out your work, change the font type or size. I've found this helps to see things differently. Also, reading aloud. Now don't laugh at this. I can read it to the cat and find errors but if I read it louder to hubby in the other room, I find mistakes I missed while reading to the cat. No clue why, but this happens all the time.
ReplyDeleteI'm a short story writer but I have read whole novels alound. One novel was 125K.
Also try a read it back software. That helps with missing words in a ms.
Thanks Pat, these are great suggestions. I love changing the font size and style! I could do this without printing. I do read aloud, but usually when everyone has left the house. It especially helps me with dialogue. I have heard of the read it back software. Must look into that.
DeleteOh, did I miss any errors before posting this. Guaranteed they will show up now. lol
ReplyDeleteNo worries.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Suzanne. I edit several times on screen, then bite the bullet and print out for final review. I'm so cheap, I don't want to print out more than once, but there are things I see on the page I never really notice when I'm working on screen. And working on screen makes it so much easier to create mistakes that I have to find again later. Sigh...There really is no good answer, is there?
ReplyDeleteI definitely relate,
Joanie
Thanks Joanie, at least I'm not alone. When I find that OA meeting I'll let you know. LOL
ReplyDeleteI revise, edit and revise, leave it alone, revise, edit and edit again until I hate the words, the story and have to leave it aside for a break again. Of course by then, I've taken some new great workshop or course or thought about my MS and realized some scent would far more awesome if I tweaked this way. After nearly every course I feel the need to run through my MS's and apply this new craft tool.
ReplyDeleteSo yes bring OA I need it too.
Cassandra, I hear you on the workshops. That is so my problem. But I am trying to take a hiatus from them. That will probably last until I see another one that is just too fascinating to miss LOL. Maybe I need a support group for that too.
DeleteWWA - Writing Workshops Anonymous.
Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteYou're in good company. I read that Hemingway revised the last page of Farewell to Arms 39 times to "get the words right."
Another tip:
If you can convert it to an ebook and read it on a reader, that also gives you different perspective.
One thing I think does make our problem worse is word processing. Do you think we would be so obsessive if we couldn't copy and paste? I doubt it. In that way revision has become so "easy" that I guess we feel it can always be improved. While that's true, perfection will never be achieved so there needs to be a point at which you say DONE. Maybe a self imposed limit on the number of revisions you will allow yourself before submitting would help. If it's rejected that doesn't mean revision is needed but if you get feedback, you could address that in a new revision and re-sub ASAP.
Tamara, great advice thank you. I agree word processing does make it too easy to revise, and revise and revise. I have not done the ereader, but I may try that. And you are absolutely right about rejection doesn't mean revision, but feedback with rejection could, all good points. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteSuzanne,
ReplyDeleteWow, your blog was a scary read - I swear we must be writer twins. I can completely relate. I edited my first 100,000+ novel in bits and pieces six times before putting an axe to it and starting over completely. But like you, it wasn't out of spite so much as it was because I'd learned along the way. Grown in my studies of the art. I finished it again, and have given myself a deadline for a "first full" revision. We'll see how that goes. And I found a great critique group, too. That usually leads to more revisions, though. But good ones!
Good luck in your journey!
Kreann, my twin, I completely get what you're going through. Glad you found a critique group that is helpful. Good luck with your deadline. I have one too, but June 1st is looming way too fast.
Delete