Tuesday 17 March 2009

Editing, editing and more editing

I edit my own work. I edit the work of my students. I edit the work that comes my way for the small publishing company I co-own. Can you be all edited out?
I think I was yesterday. There was no more I could say about anybody’s work. Not even my own. Maybe there needs to be a limitation on how much one edits a day as well as on how much one writes.
What is it that one edits? The spelling and the grammar? Ah, that’s the easy bit. Then does this have a story arc? Is there structure? Is the voice right? Is the voice consistent? Would this be better shown instead of told? Is this a darling which needs killing? Does this dialogue work? Is all of the text either pushing the story forward or showing characters, and is it preferably doing both at once?
Simply put, is it good enough, is it fit for purpose?
Is it a case of keeping first things first?
The first thing, the urgent and important thing, is to be a writer.

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