Self Edit Like A Pro by Jolene Perry

I love NaNoWriMo! I love being able to let my brain dump out words that form paragraphs and eventually form a story. Not to brag (just proving my point), I can usually write 50k in a weekend. They aren't pretty words, but it is a story.

But I HATE editing. For some reason, I feel like a failure because all the words in my head come out a jumbled mess on paper (stupit, right?)

At the same time, I love editing because I can make the sentences stronger and make my story better.


Jolene Perry's class was excellent on self-editing.

Here are a few of my notes:

There are a few edit rounds:

Developmental/Big picture
Line
Fine line
Copy
Proof

LINE EDITING:
Line edits help make awkward sentences better, change passive sentences, and improve flow.

When editing, it might be helpful to plug the manuscript into a plotting method, like Save the Cat and see where the story needs fixed or is missing beats. If I find myself rethinking a scene, then I just need to cut it.

One of Jolene's advice that I want to use more often:
Write a pitch of the book, or a blurb, to help keep the story straight. 
AND
Step away from the manuscript for at least THREE weeks to see where to fix MS better.

There needs to be TWO reasons for each scene:

1. What do we learn?
 About a character? About their world?
2. How does this scene propel the story?
What is the key in this scene that adds tension?

Each character has a background, interests, hobbies, likes/dislikes that shape their world. Are those views shown in their actions?

If you need help with characterization, trying reading the scene from each characters point of view! Then ask, are they acting in a way that help the main character?

LINE BY LINE:

Don't use thought verbs-SHOW the emotion
Don't use dialog tags improperly
Don't use a passive voice
Don't use 'it' or 'it was' if at all possible
Cut pet words

Define 'it' and 'there' do make the story better.
Search for ING endings and see if I can make the sentence more succint.
⇛Being more specific nearly always adds tension!

You DON'T need an action AND a dialogue tag.

COPY EDIT:
Checks grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. 
Learn about hyphenation, commas, and lay vs. lie

Jolene has a blog! beenwriting.com