[Shef]

I was curious as to how all of you guys (and gals) go about your editing. Do you wait to you finish the entire story/novel before you begin editing? Or do you do it as you go along?

Personally, for my first edit, I correct before I go to sleep at night on a printed paper. I don't however, insert the corrections until the end of teh story. Then I read through the story a few more times. Is this a good process?

Thanks,
Shef

[Miriamele]

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to edit, it's just what feels comfortable for you.
Usually I write the whole story down (on the computer), then read over it a couple times and make changes. I then wait a couple days, then read over it a couple more times and make a few more corrections.

Then I print it out and read it on paper. Every time I find a few more small errors on paper that somehow passed my notice on the computer.

Then I print out a good copy. That's about it.

Like I said, there are really no rules about stuff like this. Whatever works for you. As long as the story does get edited, it's all good. :)

[Alucard]

I always edit after I've written the book. Because that way, when I go back to the beginning, it is somewhat fresh and I can view it more objectively. Then, once I've edited the whole thing, I try just reading it. If it stumbles, I fix those areas. After that, I print it out and never want to look at it again.

But I think you should use whatever technique works. But something to keep in mind, the more times you read over the same thing, the more numb to it you get and the less effective you'll be at spotting mistakes. A fresh perspective is really important.

[gabador]

editing? what's that all about??
no, I edit more than I write. It's aazing. I sit down, write a page, and then I have to go back and add some more to an earlier chapter, and then I get bored. So I think from now on, I'll just keep on writing until my fingers go numb, and then give it to someone else to edit...
:D
gab

[kegasaurus]

I edit whenever I'm stagnating. To rread the story and fix it up generally gives me the required information I need to press ahead although I won't do it until I have finished the chapter I am working on. With short stories, I generally wait until the end to have a read over it unless it is getting too long.

[milamber_reborn]

My only novel is quite lengthy, so I edited after each chapter.

During and since then, I wrote down numerous notes of things to add, change or check. Also, a friend who I trust to be honest is reading aloud the whole story with me so I can polish it up.

[Ciuva]

I use to edit whenever there are details I'm not sure about or have forgotten. Since there is a part I have to go through anyway, I use to fix the errors at the same time. But not if I have gotten this very, very, very, very good idea and have to write it down before I forget it.

Editing is (for me) a good way of getting back into the story if I haven't written for a while or can't seem to get anything down on paper. (Although editing when I don't get any ideas and can't seem to get anything right most often result in erasing the whole story...)

But since I find editing the most boring part of writing, I hardly do it before I absolutely have to...

[Ashgan]

i always edit chapter by chapter. first i write the chapter on paper, with an actual pencil (ooooohhh! whoooow!) and re-read it a few times. i usually find a lot of mistakes. then i type it onto my PC and, during the process, i run into another bunch of mistakes. i do the spellcheck afterwards and ocasionally use the theasarus. i read it again and correct errors. then i print it out and read it and read it and read it... and whenever i write a new chapter, i read everything i wrote before that again, and check it for blunders. i always keep an up-to-date version on my hard-disk.