Think Your Way Out Of The Editing Blues by Mary Caelsto
Please welcome Mary Caelsto to Writer’s Fun Zone today. Mary shows us how to think your way out of the editing blues. Enjoy!
***
When faced with a daunting edit, don’t you wish you could just think it away? Like a magical fairy godmother your thoughts would make the edits just vanish. Poof! And, of course, being a magical fairy godmother, it’d leave a perfectly edited manuscript in its place. Doesn’t that sound really nice?
Well, your thoughts can’t quite do that, but they can help you edit with ease and flow. And if you don’t have a fairy godmother, then that’s the next, best thing. Think about it. There’s a manuscript either sitting on your hard drive that needs edits and revisions or it’s in your inbox. The more you think about it the less you’re “in the mood” to edit. I’ve been there, and I bet you have, too.
It doesn’t take anything fancy, no wine or candles, to put you in the mood to edit. All it takes is your thoughts. When we edit our manuscripts, we’re focusing on what’s wrong. The pacing might be off or a turn of phrase just doesn’t make sense. Our attention is on those things we want to change. And these thoughts can lead us into a spiral of our writing being “not good enough”. Except, it is!
Sure, it could be strengthened. Just about anything can be made better. But if we focus on what’s wrong, then we’re setting ourselves up for those editing blues. Instead, let’s focus on what’s right. And when we find something that isn’t right, focus on how you can make it better.
The simple way to think your way out of the editing blues is to focus on what works in your story and what you can make better. It’s so much more fun to edit when you’re going, “that rocks!” or laughing out loud at your own brilliance while you read. Now, I’m not saying delude yourself. Most likely your work will need improvement in places. It may need improvement in a lot of places. First drafts often aren’t pretty or clean. They can, however, be strengthened.
Thinking positive about your work is a simple principle, and yet, it can be such a stretch from the way we were taught to be. The stereotypical image of the writer slaving over every word might be popular; it doesn’t have to be the truth. We don’t want to be like the head-banging piano player on Sesame Street, no matter how cute he may be as a puppet. That character was pulled from the show, deemed to be providing a bad role model for kids who suddenly became too hard on ourselves. Why do we need to be hard on ourselves when it comes to editing our stories?
When you feel yourself starting to get the editing blues, start to look for what’s right with your manuscripts. Make notes about all the things you love about your characters; they’re your creation after all! When a plot twist makes you smile or a line of dialogue makes you laugh, note the margins. You don’t have to mark-up only what needs improved. You can always mark-up what you like, too. That’s something I do for my authors, and they thank me for it. You will thank yourself for this change in your thinking, too.
***
Mary Calesto’s publishing career spans over 10 years and 3 pen names. Currently, she uses her publishing experience to coach authors as The Muse Charmer www.musecharmer.com. Join her in March for Prosperity Practices For Writers, a 6-week class. More information can be found at her website.
Links:
website http://www.musecharmer.com
blog http://www.musecharmer.com/blog
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/musecharmer
Twitter http://www.twitter.com/harmoniczen
