Writing Stack Exchange
Writing Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [editing]

Editing is the act of improving a piece of writing. Questions with this tag should focus on specific editing techniques or ways to improve editing skills. Critiques or proofreading questions are off-topic here.

397 questions
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11 answers

Self Editing tips/tricks

I write a daily piece and have been doing so for over 8 years. I think my writing has gotten better, but I still find mistakes at times, or more likely, my readers find mistakes. Does anyone have good tricks for self-editing? Any tools? I spell…
way0utwest
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7 answers

Finding before/after examples where writing has been improved, to learn from

I'd like to see a series of example paragraphs, showing before/after a rewrite, to give me specific examples of how writing can be improved. Is there anywhere that shows such things? I once read the biography of James Herriot, where they showed part…
Magnus Smith
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16
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6 answers

How do I know when my work is ready for critique?

I run a critiquing group once a month and I've had several of my members say they aren't sure how to tell when their work is ready for critique. I'll be covering this in a workshop tomorrow night, but I figured I'd toss the question to you guys as…
Jerenda
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12
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4 answers

2nd Draft- Fix spelling/grammar or plot first?

I just finished the first draft of my novel, and Im going to put it away for at least a month. The book has a lot of spelling / grammatical errors, as in true Nanowrimo style, I kept typing without fixing anything. When I return, what should I focus…
Shantnu Tiwari
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11
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6 answers

How can I edit my own, very old work?

I have about a hundred pages of a novel I wrote in high school, I like the concept behind the writing but I'm finding it extremely difficult to go back and read/edit it again. I last edited the document in 2007. The work received lots of praise at…
Ben Brocka
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1 answer

How do I find an affordable editor?

I wrote a few chapters of a book several years ago. How do I find an affordable editor?
Phil C
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11
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3 answers

How does one go *back* to editing an older piece?

I have a longer work that took me a lot of effort to get through, and the moment I finished it, my life went crazy. That was about 6 months ago, and in the intervening time I haven't been able to pick it back up. The story is complete, and if I may…
Turnips
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9
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2 answers

What is the fastest way to make an editor hate me?

I was reading an article the other day on "best practices" for presenting my work to an editor. It was very informative. But the inquisitive side of me started wondering what it was that might make make an editor so terribly upset with me or my work…
user2859458
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1 answer

2nd draft- rewrite from scratch?

I remember reading this somewhere, though I cannot remember the source: When working on the 2nd draft, read through the 1st draft, looking for holes. But then throw it away, and rewrite the the 2nd draft from scratch. This will make you a better…
Shantnu Tiwari
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7
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3 answers

How do I start editing my novel?

I had written the first draft of my book and put it in the freezer almost 6 weeks ago. Yesterday I took it out, and after going through a first read to note my reactions, I have decided to start work on the second draft. But it looks like a huge…
Shantnu Tiwari
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7
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4 answers

How do I gain sufficient emotional distance from my work to edit it?

This question was asked by a member of my critique group at the beginning of the month and I've been stewing over it for a while now. I still don't have any better ideas, so I'm turning to you. How can a writer separate their emotions from the…
Jerenda
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3 answers

How do I gain experience in editing?

After years of critiquing fiction as a hobby, I feel like I've gained some skill at editing. I'm now wondering how I can try my hand at actually editing fiction. While I've got a decent sense of how one starts out as a writer, I have no idea how one…
Standback
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4 answers

Doubts about editing?

I have been working on a novel, and I've gone around four chapters in. I keep re-reading the first chapters, and I am tempted to edit them. Should I wait until I at least have a finished first draft to start editing, or should I edit as I go?
Ella
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3 answers

Different kinds of editors

I've noticed references to different kinds of editors such as copy editor, line editor and development editor. I'd like to know the different categories of editors and their job descriptions.
Sky Red
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How do I qualify as a sub-editor?

I've seen a lot of sub-editing jobs advertised lately and I'm wondering what qualifications (and experience?) such a role would require. Is there a particular sub-editing/proofreading course I should do? And do I need to complete an inDesign course?…
GabriellaB
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