Comments on: To Edit or Not to Edit? That is the Question

By: Sacha Black

Sacha Black — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 21:07:58 +0000

In reply to leila samarrai. What a brilliant quote :) thanks so much for stopping by and reading (my clearly unedited blog post!) shame on me! I must have written it tired! thank you again :)

By: leila samarrai

leila samarrai — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 12:14:21 +0000

as someone who hates editing above all, though others assure me editing is re -writing, just listen to Gogol’s advice: write in a flash what you hold dear to heart in the first draft, then let it rest for a while, not for eternity, god forbid.. then go to the third (mine)favorite stage: killing your darlings…

By: esthernewton2013

esthernewton2013 — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 15:55:05 +0000

Great advice from Keith!

By: Keith Channing

Keith Channing — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 09:21:18 +0000

That’s a tough one, Sacha!
I am in a similar position with my NaNo work. It has reached the end (and is crying out for a sequel for which I already have a working title, a headline summary and a candidate cover). However, it needs more middle, sub-plots need finessing, character consistency is possibly suspect and the whole thing needs critical revision.
However, to do NaNo, I interrupted work on the original story (from which my NaNo work is a spin-off) and that needs revising and editing first – I think.
Having said all that, I don’t have your time pressures; it’s really just a question of organising my head.
Sorry, I’m not being very helpful, am I?
In your position, I think I would try to press on with the story, unless you believe that your edits and revisions will change the flow of your story and put it in a different place to where it is now. Rationale? If you do that, you will have a completed product to work on, rather than a half-completed one, which will still need developing and revising when it is finally finished.
But what do I know? This time last year I was thinking about writing my first short story!