Editing Process

Writers are often advised that editing is everything. But how much editing is too much? First drafts are usually gangly, awkward things that hang together by a loose thread, but tend to move in too many directions. They usually lack focus and tautness. This is where the first layer of editing begins - tightening up story lines, refocusing themes, eliminating tangential information, etc. Once the piece is in good technical form, the second layer of editing begins. This layer involves tweaking language, getting just the right word, just the right sound, just the right string of words together to make the message clear. In this phase of editing, sentences are tightened so that every word is essential and meaningful to the story or theme. Every word has a purpose and special effect on the work as a whole. This phase produces a good piece of writing. The third layer of editing produces excellence. This is where the work is again viewed as a whole and reworked from beginning to end. Entire sections may be thrown out or reworded if they are good, but not excellent. In this phase, the writer is ruthless in pursuit of perfection. Nothing is sacred if it doesn't contribute to that goal. Thus, the editing process progresses from the general to the specific and back to the general. The work is literally turned inside out. At the end of this final phase, the writer has exhausted all feasible possibilities and the work stubbornly stands on its own, not willing to bend to the writer's will. This is the time to stop. If you go beyond that, you're over-editing. The work will tell you when it's done. It will resist you. Finding just the right amount of editing, like the sweet spot on a tennis ball, will send your writing soaring to greater heights of excellence.