In the latest in the Writer’s Digest series of “mistakes writers make”, Managing Editor Moriah Richard tells writers not to skimp on the editing process. “You’re doing yourself and your story a disservice by blowing through the revision process,” Richard says. “Revisions can seem overwhelming, especially when you’re still wrapped up in post-writing exhaustion. However, approaching your revision process like a professional editor will up-level your work and give your audience a better reading experience.”
To tackle the feeling of overwhelm, Richard recommends splitting the editing into three phases: developmental, line by line, and proofreading.
“Developmental edits are where you approach the story from the big picture,” Richard explains. “If you’d like to tackle developmental edits on your own, I recommend shelving your draft for a short time (give yourself a deadline of 5-7 days, maybe), and then picking it up and reading it through the way that a new reader would.” Here’s where you tackle big picture items like your theme, timeline, and emotional arcs.
Line editing is exacting, as you go through your story line by line to examine word choices, flow, and other style areas. This is where you ensure that your characters speak with a consistent voice and that their dialogue sounds natural. This is also where you catch your “telling” phrases, unnecessary adverbs, and similar issues.
Finally, you’ll hit the proofreading stage. At this point, you are looking for spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and typos.
