Editing With Jill Barry

This week, I'm delighted to welcome my writer friend, Sandra Mackness who writes as Jill Barry, to the blog. I'd been following Jill on Twitter for a while and met her for the first time almost two years ago when she invited me to a writers' meeting in Cardiff.

Over to you, Jill

Thank you, Jan, for inviting me to write a guest post for your blog and encouraging me to examine my editing process in detail. I shall look forward to learning how others deal with this tough task, whether approaching it with reluctance or eagerness!

When writing a pocket novel, a genre demanding a definite word count and chapters of similar length, I monitor my word count in order to spare myself a cull at the end of my first draft. Longer novels are a different matter. When I know I’m going with the flow, I just roll over and enjoy it!

I try not to self-edit as I work. Allowing that process to become a habit would, I believe, hinder creativity. I usually finish a day’s writing when I feel the need to walk away or sometimes because the clock dictates. I save my work on my PC and also to memory stick/data transferor. Next time I open up the document, I read through the last section written, revising as I go along. This is helpful because when I’m ready to resume my story, I’m back in it and can give it my total concentration and not slow myself down by fretting over what’s gone before. At that point, hopefully I’m reasonably happy with what I’ve written. If I think it’s a load of accurately spelt and punctuated rubbish, I go ahead in the knowledge that the junk is saved and can be deleted or transformed into ‘something wonderful’ when I return to it. Always believe!

Although I try not to use spell check too often, because that typo isn’t going anywhere and that repeated word can be deleted later, I deal with this before tucking up the 'wip' for the night because, unlike plot twists and turns, it’s mechanical stuff. I confess it’s also the nerd in me coming out!

While the characters are engaging upon the page, sometimes an alarm bell rings in my head, heralding a ‘Hang on’ moment. This alert can mean one of many things. Maybe Arabella confides something too early in the plot, thereby spoiling the suspense. Perhaps Tarquin announces he has a brother when the person he’s speaking to would already know that, as he’s a family friend.

Errors such as changing the colour of a character’s eyes or hair can easily occur and usually I note such details on the whiteboard above my desk. But whether Tarquin has a sibling, or Arabella blurts out something significant to the plot, a note needs to be written somewhere visible. Some authors use a row of Xs; others change the font colour of the section. Some use their software and comment in the page margin. Post-it notes stuck to your monitor are useful too, unless you can’t bear a colourful paper fringe framing your masterpiece. Whatever works for you!

I don’t count the number of drafts I need but for a pocket novel, it’s probably three. A longer work demands more attention. Whatever the length or genre, I have been known to write a particular scene out of sequence, because I want to capture the idea on the page, and can cut and paste elsewhere as part of the editing process. If it works, nobody will ever know. If it doesn’t you’ll realise when you do that next read through.

Technically, it’s advisable to proof read from end to beginning, using a ruler beneath each line. This easily shows up rogue words because there’s no ongoing story to lull you into seeing what you meant to type even if you didn’t. For my final read, my usual strategy is to email the word document to my Kindle. I find reading my work in this way shows up any errors still lurking, much more easily. And there will be some – even if you’re a nerd like me!

If you find the editing process daunting, you can always go about it in doable chunks. This way, you’ll move the project forward, albeit in tiny steps. ‘I’m going to edit my novel today’ may be easy to say but it is a challenge so never be afraid to revise it in sections to suit you, regardless of what others are telling you, whether in a writers’ group or via social media. Throughout this time, you may find it therapeutic to pursue an idea for your next project or try your hand at a short story.

If you’re fortunate enough to work with a good editor, you’ll cherish this time and learn from it. The anecdote below shows what happened to me as an enthusiastic but ‘green’ author taken on by a publisher working with the Arts Council but failing to provide any editing. The book was published as a Print on Demand paperback but fortunately Endeavour Press published the revised version as an e-book that topped the Amazon Contemporary Romance chart.

I can’t resist including my favourite review gained on Amazon: Gentle and genuine, here's a book that bubbles warmly and softly like good bath essence. It's a must read for romantics from nineteen to ninety.

This refers to Suddenly You Know, the novel that made me sit up and take editing very seriously. The original ms of around ninety thousand words was my first full-length work and contained far too much back-story. It underwent a massive cull.

Good luck with your writing journey!

Thank you so much, Sandra, for sharing your approaches to editing. I found them very interesting and informative and I'm sure other readers will do, too. I hadn't thought about emailing the 'ms' to my Kindle so I shall definitely be trying that when the time comes.

To find out more about Jill Barry, please click on the following links:

Facebook author page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jill-Barry/600174610034329?ref=bookmarks

Twitter @barry_jill

Jill Barry Amazon Author Page:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jill-Barry/e/B00FE0GQJ0/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1452508421&sr=1-2-ent

Thank you for reading. Are there any of Jill's editing processes that you already follow? Which ones do you like the sound of and may try in the future? I'd love it if your left a comment. Thanks! :-)

You may also follow me on Twitter @JanBayLit and on my Jan Baynham Writer Facebook page.