Some writers don't edit enough: they publish novels that are full of plot holes, or blog posts that are liberally sprinkled with typos.
Many writers, though, fall into the opposite trap of over-editing their work. It can be tricky to know when to stop, especially if you're a bit of a perfectionist. Here are four tell-tale signs to watch out for:
#1: You've Been Working on This One Piece for Way Too Long
Have you been plodding away with your magnum opus for eight years now? Have you been working on this one very short story for six months? "Way too long" is pretty subjective, but you probably have a good sense of how it feels.
It's time to move on. Either ditch the project altogether – or set yourself a time limit to finish it.
#2: You've Gone Through More Than Three Rounds of Edits
If you're working on a major project, like a novel or non-fiction book, you may well find the first draft needs serious work.
- First draft
- Editing #1: Big picture revision, then out to beta readers / editor
- Editing #2: More detailed revision, incorporating feedback
- Editing #3: Sentence-by-sentence tweaks and proofreading
If you're going through your novel or book again and again and again, then it's time to stop. If you're worried about missing typos, hire a proofreader. If you're not sure if it's "good enough", then ask a bunch of friends, blog readers, or writing group companions to read it and give you their honest opinion.
#3: You're Obsessing Over Tiny Details
It's easy to use editing as an excuse to delay publishing your work – especially when the piece you've written is really important to you.
Some writers get caught up in tiny details, like constantly tweaking subheadings or comma placement. Obviously you want to avoid typos and keep things consistent – but give yourself a time limit, or hire someone to help.
Don't try to make your writing perfect. Often "good enough" is just fine. A lot of my freelancing work is for websites with a constant turnover of articles: they don't want me to produce highly polished literary prose, they just want good, readable writing.
#4: You Keep Changing Your Mind
Have you heavily revised your work, only to wonder if you should've gone in a different direction altogether? If you can't make up your mind, or if you keep thinking about changing things back, then stop.
You've probably got too much feedback – either from your own reading and re-reading of your work, or from beta-readers or blog readers.
Pick the direction that feels most right for your story or your piece of writing, and go with it. Of course there'll be other possibilities –probably countless ones! If you really can't decide, toss a coin.
Of course, editing is a hugely important stage of the writing process – and the quality of the finished piece matters. If you never finish and publish, though, no-one's ever going to benefit from your words.
If you're stuck in an editing phase right now:
- Give yourself a time limit to finish.
- Get outside help: beta-readers, an editor, or a proofreader (depending what stage of editing you're at).
- Take a break from it: you'll come back with more perspective on your work.
And if you're facing a particular editing problem, let me know: I'll be very happy to address it in a future newsletter.
