Seeing Red? The Joys of Editing.

Hello everyone, glad you could make it back.

Red, the mark of angry men? Red, the blood of thy enemies? Red, the destruction of dreams? Red, the cruelest color in the world?

Alright, I know all of that sound dramatic, but these are actual ways I've heard people describe red ink on a piece of work. Editing is one of the hardest things many writers face, myself included. So here's a some tips and tricks I've learned to make editing a little bit easier.

Read, Read, Read

Reading is one of your best tools when it comes to becoming a better writer. I cannot stress this one enough. It took me a while to learn it myself, but it makes a world of difference. Read similar things you're working on, read things that are the exact opposite than what your working on, read books that help with the craft of writing, just keep reading. The more you read, the better you'll get. 

One of my favorite books to read through to help improve my writing is On Writing from the one and only Stephen King. This book was released back in 2000, but it still stands up against the test of time. I've read through it multiple times and each time I take away something new. He walks you through his writing process, shows you how things evolved from first draft to finished product. It is a valuable resource and I recommend picking up a copy. I found mine here on Amazon. 

Red Ink-phobia

Oh red ink, what would we do without you? For many writers, the sight of red ink really does cause some form of fear or anxiety. I was the same way. I hated seeing red ink on my pages. It meant that I did something wrong. Well here's the thing, its just ink. The fact you messed up wont hurt less if its in purple or blue or pink or green or whatever other color someone else can write in. This take time, but I recommend looking at red ink as a chance to make things better and I'd recommend using red ink for your own corrections as well. This will make it so you can see passed the red to the things you need to actually work on. It's just ink, I promise it won't hurt you.

Different Editing Types

Editing is a process and a lot of people just assume they need to tackle everything at once. Now this method does work for some people, but for a majority, I found that it just is too much for people to handle. Breaking down the big project you need to break it down into smaller pieces. As a practice for myself, I follow the rule of the three stages of editing. 

The first stage of editing is called Macro-Edits. This one is where you tackle the big things. Rewrite and making big changes to the plot is what takes place during this stage. Character arc not quite working? Change it here? Thinking about cutting a chapter? Do that here.

The second stage is Line Edits.  Here is when you look for medium sized issues. Repetitions, continuity, accuracy; these are the types of things that you need to look at during this stage.

The third and final stage is the Copy Edits. Here is when you get really picky about everything. Look at each individual word, make sure every detail is right, make sure the spelling is correct and that the grammar is right. This is the stage that takes the longest and is often considered the most tedious. Well, tough, it has to get done right? 

I get this face a lot from my editors...

Find an Editor/Editing Service

Now if you're someone like me who really sucks at editing, you may want to consider finding someone who could do it for you. Now this can be really tricky. You need to find someone who is alright with showing you some tough love, no use comes from people who are just going to tell you everything is great, but this person can't be so tough that the break you down with every word. There needs to be a happy medium. More importantly, you need to trust this person. And you don't only need to have one, I have a whole group who looks at my work before my professional editor and agent gets to see it.

Another option is finding a place that offers editing services. Now this can be a little intimidating for people because of two things. One, who have no idea who these people are, generally, and two, it cost money.  You have to put in a lot of research in on seeking out these services. Luckily, I know a trusted one that I have worked with already.

DWL Services is a Utah based company that was started by an associate of mine. They offer three different levels of editing and their prices are better than some of the bigger companies. Yes, they are fairly new company, but they have some amazing editors on staff, many who've worked on my own work, who really know what they are doing. Check them out here and if they seem like a perfect match for you don't forget to tell them Dakota sent you. 

Editing is something that we writers can't get away. It would be amazing if we all could write a perfect thing on the first try, but that's not going to happen. So we're stuck with it. I know I'm not the best editor out there, so I've taken steps out there so I can still get my work out there. And I've been working on becoming a better editor, but like everything, its a work in progress. 

I know editing can be a nightmare, but just keep at it and don't forget to keep writing,

Dakota