There are different kinds of editing. It’s safe to say that a writer will end up going through several different editing passes, and types when writing almost anything. Right now, I’m going to discuss one type of editing: rewriting.
Rewriting is something that I’ve done a lot of. Typically, when I wrote a paper, I would then look it over, and usually rewrite around 75%. I usually say that I write “into” my first draft. That I figure out what I’m trying to say after I’ve already started.
When you are going into your first edit, it is important to decide what kind of edit you are doing. If you need to do editing: rewriting, there are a few ways to tell right off the bat:
- Did your point of view shift?
- Has your protagonist changed?
- Did you start with one idea and now you are working with a different one?
If the answers to any of these questions is yes, then you will be well-suited to go into the editing:rewriting mode, instead of a revision, or another type of edit that we’ll discuss later (read: line edit, proofread, or even beta read).
How do you go about a rewrite?
- The first thing is to determine what you want to keep.
- Then, take the things you are getting rid of (unless you are doing a complete overhaul, then just open a new document) and place those in their own document, so nothing is lost.
- Go to where the story last made sense, and then you can start outlining from there, or you can just start your rewrite. Depending on what kind of writer you are.
The process can vary. There is a process for rewriting called pancake drafting. This involves making several drafts one after another. You don’t read any draft, and you just keep going until you feel you have it right. I haven’t ever done this, but I have started from scratch with only the story in my head.
At the end of the day, when it comes to editing: rewriting, there are many ways to go about it. The most important part is to identify that it’s necessary. Then, it’s up to the writer to figure out what works for them.
Thank you for reading, and please let me know if you want to know more about the pancake draft, or anything else! Thanks!
