Yes, even the best design needs editing. However, over editing can be the death of your creativity. If you are like me, then you are in trouble. I like to write spontaneously and I can write a whole chapter easily in one sitting, but that is where the danger comes in - in the editing phase. I am like an editing addict. I just can't stop once I start.
Take the following sentence as an example:
Wicked Wanda wafted, waving her hands in ironic agony, as she screamed "Yellow Zonkers to you all".
I might start my editing by correcting any spelling mistakes (witch I did before I aloud this too be printed). Next, I fixed the verb tense mistakes. But the reel dance begins when I consider changing the way the parts of the sentence are ordered.
Waving her hands in ironic agony, Wicked Wanda screamed "Yellow Zonkers to you all" while wafting. I tell myself that sounds better but a few seconds later, I feel the knead to make changes again - something just is not right.
Wicked Wanda really was in pain, her hands were killing her, and she screamed at everybody in the room some nonsense about Yellow and Zonkers and oh yes she was wafting the whole time.
Now I might think that the problem of Wanda screaming might be solved but perhaps this is too wordy.
Wicked Wanda hands were in pain, everyone could see this, and they understood why she screamed but they could not understand why she was wafting.
And so it goes until hours later, I either give up the task or I get the dog to choose the best one (note - because the dog seems to be the last person I have asked about this.)
(the dog is no help - he liked them all - in fact he ate my story)
But I saved the original on the computer - so it is the original I will go with.
So save yourself time with editing and get the dog to do it. Or be satisfied when the publisher tells you their editor will make the changes.
Take the following sentence as an example:
Wicked Wanda wafted, waving her hands in ironic agony, as she screamed "Yellow Zonkers to you all".
I might start my editing by correcting any spelling mistakes (witch I did before I aloud this too be printed). Next, I fixed the verb tense mistakes. But the reel dance begins when I consider changing the way the parts of the sentence are ordered.
Waving her hands in ironic agony, Wicked Wanda screamed "Yellow Zonkers to you all" while wafting. I tell myself that sounds better but a few seconds later, I feel the knead to make changes again - something just is not right.
Wicked Wanda really was in pain, her hands were killing her, and she screamed at everybody in the room some nonsense about Yellow and Zonkers and oh yes she was wafting the whole time.
Now I might think that the problem of Wanda screaming might be solved but perhaps this is too wordy.
Wicked Wanda hands were in pain, everyone could see this, and they understood why she screamed but they could not understand why she was wafting.
And so it goes until hours later, I either give up the task or I get the dog to choose the best one (note - because the dog seems to be the last person I have asked about this.)
(the dog is no help - he liked them all - in fact he ate my story)
But I saved the original on the computer - so it is the original I will go with.
So save yourself time with editing and get the dog to do it. Or be satisfied when the publisher tells you their editor will make the changes.
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