Most experts recommend writing first and editing last. And, of course, you need to have written something before you can edit, but there are times when it’s okay to edit as you go e.g., after each chapter or scene. Here are some reasons why:
- So you can experiment with viewpoint and tense now rather than in the second draft.
- It saves searching for To Be verbs such as ‘was’ after writing 90,000 words …
- It allows you to pounce on any instance of there’s when you meant there are.
- It allows you to check details against your notes e.g., eye colour, scars etc. The last thing you want is a character’s red hair on page 12 suddenly becoming blonde on page 137 without a reason.
- So a character’s name doesn’t change mid-chapter, leaving you with a warm flushed face when a reader or professional editor discovers it.
- To check whether a particular flower has a scent or not. (Seriously, things like this happen all the time.)
- To check if a brand, fashion, trend or event really existed or occurred in a particular year.
- So your main character’s eyes don’t narrow or roll all the time.
- So you don’t write something stupid and forget to fix it.
- So you can develop an editing checklist now rather than later.
Head in Hands (Photo credit: Alex E. Proimos)
Editing on the move is achievable if you see it as part of multitasking. When writing, so many things are in play in your mind, you might as well make your sentences shine if possible. I’m not saying you have to edit now, that would be foolhardy because writers write and edit in their own peculiar way. But if you can edit quickly without losing focus, go for it. Edit away. It could save you a lot of time, despair and embarrassment later on.
Justin O’Leary
Resources:
- Self-editing for fiction writers by Renni Browne Dave King
- The Editor’s Blog
What is the worst situation you have encountered in rushing your first draft?
What is the most embarrassing thing you have written without checking first?
Comments and experiences welcome
Thanks to you, I learned that my characters rolled their eyes a lot. I watch for that now. It’s fun all the things you learn to watch for from reading other author’s posts on editing. Live and learn. Maybe by time I’ve done 10 books, I’ll be a great editer and know everything to watch for. I better get writing, huh? 10 books is a lot.
I’m learning ways to improve my writing from you too.
My editing checklist grows and grows. Ten books, wow, you are ambitious, but then you do have talent, so it’s not such a stretch. 
I’ve just started editing my work in progress. The first draft isn’t finished (only 43,000 words) but I stopped writing for a few months and editing is helping me get back into the story, and see clearly what needs to be added in / taken out.
Oh my character smiled too much! So many ‘I smile’, ‘he smiles’, ‘I smile when’ etc
Thanks for the list and the links
Thanks for your comment.
Yes, you’re right, editing keeps us connected to our stories when we’re having a rest from writing and allows us to see the overall plan. My characters smile too much as well. I guess I need to study facial expressions and body language more.
My initial instinct was to edit as I write, but now, having been lectured by several fiction writing teachers, I try to restrain myself. I do understand the risk of never actually finished a draft if progress gets bogged down. However, it’s good to be reminded of the counter-arguments. A eclectic approach might be optimal.
My characters, too, suffer from inadequate eyeball control—to the extent that I now have a list of possible exasperation gestures that I dole out to them.
I think writers eventually evolve into the best writers they can be whether that means writing first and editing last or taking what some would see as a chaotic approach. All we can do is write, learn and experiment until we’re happy.
Love your description of rolling eyes.
Perhaps we all need a few lessons from Allan Pease, the body language expert.
Because I write a few novels at a time I’m constantly ‘editing’ because I need to go back read the previous pages to see where I was up to. In this sense I do edit a lot and find it much easier in the long run. I never change a characters name because I got caught out very early on in my career when I did this. I didn’t change ‘every name’ in the story and it just ended up being a confused mess!
We’ve all been there Dianne.
I sometimes change names and then have to hunt down every last use of the previous name even the misspelt ones. It’s hard work and nerve racking and usually involves reading everything aloud just to be sure. I also changed the gender of one character, man oh man, what a nightmare.
Shifting between multiple works in progress is like adjusting to two sets of friends. You really have to use two or three completely different mindsets. I can do it for short stories, but not for anything longer. You must have a brilliant mind.
Don’t you mean ‘man oh woman’ (or possibly vice versa)?
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
Hehe, yes, vice versa.
Of course! LOL
I used to edit everything all the time while I wrote, but it got me into a lot of trouble because I never actually moved forward with the plot. I just kept rewriting the darn thing! Now I am very particular about what I edit while I go along, and viewpoint and tense (#1 in your list) are the two elements I play around with.
The temptation to make constant adjustments is too great for some writers and they end up stalling as you discovered. I find knowing the ending helps me march on and stay focused even while editing. If editing during the writing process interrupts your focus, you should definitely keep writing. Introduce the editor to the sandman.
Those intermediate edits are also good for me when my brain needs a rest from a burst of writing, or I’m thinking about possible next sections before writing them.
Embarrassing? Fortunately, I’m the only one who saw the manuscript where my fingers couldn’t keep up with my thoughts, and a character said, “If you want to be a typical American graduate student you shave imported beer, not domestic.” Sort of changes the whole meaning of the sentence!
Hehe, yes, good catch. Reading aloud helps find ‘most’ of these typos, but not always. Sometimes we read what we expect to be there.