Editing
I’ve heard it said that the first draft is written from the heart and the second from the head. This makes a lot of sense. For a writer getting thoughts down before they disappear is of utmost importance, at least it is to this writer. Getting down on paper (or screen) the raw feelings, emotions and story lines can be time consuming itself. And if you are constantly tweaking it as you go along you can change the original story line. Many times it’s better just to get the raw, original story down as soon as you can. That being said not all writers do this and for some editing along the way is more beneficial. I fall into this category. I tend to write my first and second draft at the same time in what I call wet-on-wet writing.
Wet-on-Wet Writing
In art painting can be done by applying a coat, allowing it to dry, and then painting some more, eventually getting the desired painting. In wet-on-wet painting layers are not allowed to dry, the next coat or element is painted directly over wet paint. This causes some blending of colors and elements. One of the more famous artists of this style is the legendary Bob Ross.
This is how I tend to write. I will write down some dialogue or narrative and then go back over it to make sure it’s grammatically correct, understandable and what I want. I will sometimes change my word choice or change the mood of the person speaking or thinking. Doing this sometimes changes the flow or mood of what I am writing, and it has on occasion even changed the story itself. Editing as I go creates that wet-on-wet process where some elements, some characters and story lines get blended together. Even though editing while writing can change things from what was originally intended I like to think as Bob Ross thinks. “We don’t make mistakes, we have happy accidents.”
The Third Draft and Second Guessing
It’s the third draft that I work on digging through the manuscript and making sure it’s coherent. It’s also the draft I start to second guess myself. For instance, my children’s book takes place on a farm and there are six different animals that play a part. Having six animals has caused my word count to be around 650 – optimal word counts for picture books are 300-600. Because I am over the optimal word count I began to think about cutting down on the amount of characters.
This second guessing caused me to wonder about the book itself. What animals should I take out? Will a publisher like it? Is the story even any good? However, that second guessing didn’t last very long. I decided that if a publisher liked my book but thought it was too long we can figure out what characters get taken out then. For now I will leave them all in as they all contribute to the story.
I have went through and taken out a few needless words that were more fillers than anything. I have checked and rechecked for flow, continuity, understandability and I now have a manuscript I feel confident in.
The next step is to see if a publisher will be interested. That is one of the scariest and intriguing parts of this challenge. I am looking forward to knowing what others think. Until then get out there and try something. Write your story, paint your painting, cook your dessert – above all get to it!
Attempt it. Chance it. Try it. Get to It![/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section]