by Shannon Thomas @AuthorShannonT

I love a red pen. I love what it symbolizes. I love the power it possesses. As a writer, I’m also terrified of it, like many of us are. But I’ve learned that the red pen is a necessary tool that can often be approached with confidence when it comes to self-editing.

I’m a bit unconventional when it comes to the editing process. I believe that is okay!

Traditionally speaking, most self-editing starts by looking at the overall picture. Does the story have a beginning, middle, and end? We call this a structural edit. That’s not where I begin though.

Take a step back:

Before starting on any editing project, I take a break from what I’ve just written. I’ve worked hard on it, and I’m never ready to tear it apart right after typing the last word. Depending on the length and deadline of my work in progress, I take anywhere from a day to a few weeks before diving back in. After my break, I have a clear mind, and I’m ready to pick up my red pen.

Slow Down:

God has blessed me with an incredible gift and superpower: I am a dyslexic, which, when writing, can present a big problem. Words, phrases, and even punctuation can get scrabbled. But it also forces me to slow down and find those pesky mistakes. This gives my dyslexia a chance to loosen its grip. Not only do I find my editing mistakes, but I also start to soak in the meaning of the words to determine what is really going on. I will make a note of what seems off for the bigger picture to come back to.

Start Small:

Okay, I admit it, I’m a grammar cop. I start small. I’m good at the line edits or copy editing. This type of editing looks for missed commas, sentence fragments, misspellings, you name it. During this walk-through of my writing project, I focus on spelling and grammar. This way I’m not distracted by missing commas or a misspelled word when I move on to the next step.

Be Your Own Beta Reader:

Once I’m done with my first round of line edits, I do a regular read through. This allows me to focus on the bigger picture. I do this read as a beta reader, meaning I am presenting myself to my work as an outsider, as someone who happened upon my story in the bookstore with full curiosity, not a critical mind. While I’m doing this, I jot down notes about plot, characters, and any other big picture things, like dialogue or setting. This allows me to ask whether that strip of writing moved my story forward, or if other areas of my story need more development.

Rewrite:

This is where the rewrite takes place. I can take my initial notes, apply them to my story, and work on the next draft.

Self-editing is a great way to kick-start the editing process. It gets your mind set on making changes, rather than continuing to write. Often times when a writer can’t think of the perfect word or how to depict a certain character, the editing process will be where the answer shines through and we have your aha! moment.

As my drafts progress, I seek an outside source to help with edits. At some point, there will either be a time where I absolutely detest trying to dissect it anymore, or when I can’t see my own mistakes. When that happens, I know I need an outside editor to help me make my work as good as it can possibly be.

Shannon Thomas has a BA in Editing, Writing, and Media from Florida State University. She has published technical articles for many websites, including for the Veterans Office at Florida State University. Now residing in Pennsylvania, she spends her days raising littles, and writing a faith-filled mommy and lifestyle blog, while plotting out and working on her first novel. You can find her at http://jottednotesdottedlines.wordpress.com