Try, Try Again by Steph Beth Nickel

 

Motivation Frame Decoration You - Free photo on Pixabay

Mindset.

There has been much talk about mindset of late.

As writers, if we change our perspective about self-editing and revision, it could make the process far more enjoyable.

Even experienced writers and authors rarely publish the first draft of their work. It's fine--important even--to pour out our thoughts in our first draft, allowing our creativity to run free. We could consider this our play draft.

Polished writing, however, is a blend of play and work--as is life.

If we assign our inner editor a chair in the corner as we complete our first draft, we are free to play. We will need their input, but only when it comes time for revisions.

Going into our writing project knowing that self-editing is a crucial part of the process can help us see it in a more positive light. 

It can be exciting to strip away the elements that don't enhance our main message, the story we want to share with our readers.

Have you experienced the joy of replacing a mediocre word or phrase with one that evokes deep emotion or paints a clear picture? That's revision at its best.

Even the persnickety work of figuring out where that comma belongs or if you've included too many exclamation marks can give a deep sense of satisfaction. 

When it comes to making revisions, we may seek out help from our team (our critique partner, beta readers, editor, etc.). Still the ultimate responsibility of deciding which suggestions to incorporate into our work rests squarely on our shoulders.

Writing and revising are about sharing our message in our voice in order to effectively reach our audience. If we see doing so as an ongoing adventure, polishing our work will not be as much of a chore. It may even become something we look forward to and learn to enjoy.

A Few Words of Warning

Just as we can't expect our first draft to be publishable, we must set aside the idea of attaining perfection with our writing.

One publisher's style guide may vary significantly from another's.

Reader expectations vary from one genre to the next.

A reader's age and gender can affect what they expect in the materials they read.

Academic writing is expected to conform with a traditional polish that does not necessarily apply to other forms of writing.

And of course, our unique author voice will determine many elements of our writing.

How do you feel about making revisions?

Do you have any suggestions that will help your fellow writers improve their mindset about the process?

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the current InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in the spring of 2026. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

Self-Editing - Shirley S. Tye

Since my writing budget is small, writing workshops and hiring an editor or a proofreader are not possible. Therefore, I try to learn on my own from text books, reading the type of stories I want to read, and listening to other writers discuss the craft of writing.

One of the best books on editing that I’ve read is Self-Editing For Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King, and published by Harper Perennial in 1993. It’s educational as well as humorous with checklists and exercises at the end of each chapter. For a small paperback, it covers a lot of aspects of writing; the difference between showing and telling; characterization; points of view; dialogue; et cetera.

There are many little details to consider when editing; making the story flow smoothly; creating an interesting plot; building strong believable characters; writing natural speech. One lesson about dialogue covers the unnecessary use of adjectives to explain a character’s emotion when the dialogue clearly conveys the emotion. For example, there is no need to write “he said with astonishment” if the dialogue reveals the character’s astonishment. Another lesson taught that, in most cases, the best word to use to indicate someone speaking is ‘said’. It’s not always necessary to use speaker attributions such as; he frowned; she sniggered. To write “I’m sorry”, Mary apologized is not necessary because her words express the apology.

An interesting chapter is about beats; a few small actions throughout a scene, such as a character pacing a few steps or scratching his or her head. Beats help readers picture the scene and can help reveal a character’s personality.

Well, I think I’d better go back to “glass” and review this book.

A Writer's Brain, by Janet Sketchley

Matthew, aged 5, presented me with a fantastic, multi-coloured scrawl. “It’s a ship, Mom.” He began to elaborate: for water, as opposed to space; don’t get stuck in that part, because it’s the engine. On impulse, I suggested he write a story about it. He agreed -- after all, he was supposed to be getting ready for bed.

Speaking raw material
His imagination was still primed from drawing the picture, and he started telling the story as soon as I was ready. I wrote as fast as I could, often stopping him to let my pencil catch up. He was so focused that he could pick up where he left off as if he’d never paused -- perhaps playing video games has taught him something after all.

Occasionally he would come and check my work, but for the most part he just kept narrating. Even in the flow, he was precise with his wording, but he never backtracked or tried to edit himself. The important thing was to get the story out in one piece.

I kept quiet when he repeated words or concepts, and resisted the urge to correct his tenses as I transcribed. I watched him on the edge of my vision. He was so involved with his story that he had to keep moving.

What a scene we must have made -- the little boy orbiting the coffee table as he spun his tale, and the adult parked on the couch, biting her tongue.

Itching to organize
If we were a writer’s brain, he would be the creative process: lost in the wonder of discovering the story. I’d be the editor portion, straining against my muzzle. He was speaking my raw material. If I intruded too soon, I might damage it.

When he finally wound down, he had a nice little story. Later, if invited, I could work his “first draft” into a much shorter story. Perhaps he would add some fresh bits, and we would have something “publishable.”

Why do I find it so hard to follow his example?

Both sides doing what they do best
Today, when I sit in front of the computer, I’m going to try to apply his lesson. When I get a picture of where my story is going, I’ll let my fingers dance on the keyboard for the joy of following the muse. I hereby give myself permission to write a sloppy first draft as I explore.

My internal editor can go out for coffee. She’ll come back in a better frame of mind when I need her, and feel validated and supremely important when she sees the mess my creative frenzy has made along the trail. Once both parts of my brain have had their fun doing what they do best, my story will be as publishable as I can make it.

Will somebody hand me a market guide?

© Janet Sketchley, 2003, 2010. Originally published in Exchange, January 2003.
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.