What do you do when you're at that stage of editing when you think your novel might be the worst thing ever written in the whole world? Cry? Throw your laptop at the wall? Give up?
I'm tempted to do all of those things. In fact, crying has started. Fuck.
I don't know how to edit a book. I know what's wrong with it. I just don't know which bits to edit. I can't see the thing as a whole - it's too big. How do I know if the bits I'm editing are the right ones? I can't edit all at once, I have to do it in chunks, and I can't see the end. I never work like this. I don't know how.
So instead, I stare. And get so frustrated I feel sick. I love my novel. But I don't know how to fix it. I finished my first draft a year ago, but I'm so monumentally bad at editing (and indeed procrastinating), that I'm scared I may never ever finish it. I think somehow it's safer that way. To say that you've written a novel is one thing, but to actually have one finished, all shiny and ready for people to judge is another thing altogether.
Unfortunately, I'm my harshest critic. And at the moment, I'm being my own worst enemy. I just can't quite get over the "what's the worst that could happen if I change this section" part of what I'm doing. I've done all the simple edits - the cutting, the honing. Now it's the plot, the structure and the important stuff. I'm so scared that it's too big for me. That I'm not good enough to write this story. There's nothing scarier for a writer to think that someone else should be writing your story.
I don't know how to get out of this. I've never done this before and I'm sinking a bit today. I know this story could be really really good. I just don't know how to do it.
Editing Hell
Posted by
Siany
Sunday, 18 April 2010
7 comments:
Have you tried someone like this?
http://www.helpineedapublisher.blogspot.com/
Get someone else to edit it - it's almost impossible to edit your own work, I find. Why don't you send off the first few chapters to agents and get some feedback that way? Or give a few chapters to a trusted friend for their feedback..? Or - and this is what I've done with my book when I got to this stage - put it in a cupboard, have a few months off, then come back to it..
Wow, I was being a grumpy ol' sad sack this afternoon :-(
Some fresh air, playing with squirrels in the park and have realised that I just need a bit of time inbetween projects. Someone very wise pointed out to me that I'm not superwoman (I know, right!), so will give it a couple of days and not try to do everything all at once. It'll happen, just need to give it some time :-)
Who else have you shown the work to? It's hard to do it yourself without getting any input. Have you sent it to agents yet? I sent my first novel to American agents and they gave me suggestions on how to edit it, and now it's ten times better. Send some chapters to agents or friends, or even sign up to some critique websites. Unless you have some idea of WHAT to edit, you'll be stuck.
I'd been writing short stories for years, and used to always enjoy the editing process, that was until I attempted to write a novel. I completely empathise with you, a novel is so different from a short story or an article, it signifies a whole part of your life, and years of dedication, so when editing it the whole thing just feels so overwhelming. I think with me once I wrote it, I needed time and space before I could attempt to edit, as you are far too close to the project, if you do decide to edit yourself you need to try and approach it, as if it isn't your own.
The other thing I'd suggest is to use a writing website, they can be really great for getting help not only from editors but also for other writers and readers to leave unbiased feedback.
I work as the editor for www.shortbreadstories.com and which is basically a community for writers, to share their stories and to get support, and feedback from others in the community. Although we are for short stories, there are similar sites out there for books. Ultimately stop being so hard on yourself! I work with writers everyday and there's always one having a crisis of faith- this is very normal!
Like others have said, get someone else to do it. Just because someone's a good writer doesn't mean that they're a good editor. They are different skills.
Alas, it's note in a place where someone else can do it. It's not ready yet. I'll get there :-)
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