Editing Tips
Hello Everyone,
I was wondering if anyone would like to share any editing tips when editing their picture book manuscript.
What is your process?
How many passes through the ms do you take and what so you look at with each pass?
What is that one thing you always keep in the back of your mind while editing?
I don't have a real process at this time and I think if I did it might make editing easier. I can share this tip - when I am editing I make one pass through the ms looking for the word "that" and ask myself, "Do I really need "that" there? Would the sentence still make sense if it wasn't?" I find some people use the word way too much.
I would like to know your process. What have you learned? What works for you?
Auntie Flamingo
http://auntieflamingo.blogspot.com/
In an attempt to polish my editing technique I have found some information I wish to share.
1. Read the story out loud. I tend to catch many of my errors that way.
2. I found this article on Line Editing in 10 easy steps: http://www.deepgenre.com/wordpress/admin/craft/line-editing/
Very helpful.
I'm still interested in any other editing tips or processes.
Auntie Flamingo
http://auntieflamingo.blogspot.com/
Hi! I like these links, ideas, and new message thread, Auntie Flamingo!
I have been deep inside the Writing and Revising Batcave this weekend and am teaching all week. But tomorrow after i'm home from school, I'll post more thoughts on this and ask others to post here as well! Thanks for starting up the latest thread!
xo
Paula
Hi, wow, I have been AWOL from my own website, huh? Been exhausted from teaching. Will post blog soon. But I thought of another tip y'all might appreciate it. I learned this from a writing class - try deleting the FINAL paragraph from your manuscript. Often times you'll find that the second-to-last paragraph truly is the ending to your story. When we write first drafts and reach the end, sometimes we aren't confident or don't trust our readers, so we add on that extra last paragraph that over-explains the ending or over-sentimentalizes the story's final image to the point of sledgehammer overkill. I have found that every time I try this trick, 9 times out of ten it works and the real ending was the second-to-last-paragraph!