Regardless of what you write, readers have the same expectation-they insist on stories with language that demonstrates economy, effectiveness, and energy. While entire how-to books could be written about each of those goals, this article focuses on the 10 most impactful story-improving editing tips I've shared with students and clients.
With that, let's examine my 10 best editing tips. Apply these as needed to your own writing, regardless of literary medium or genre.
1: DIVIDE AND CONQUER
Many writers find editing to be daunting. It's understandable there are so many ways for words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs to go wrong. But don't despair. Harold Underdown, Executive Editor at Kane Press, offers this wise advice: "When looking for words to cut, don't just do one pass through your manuscript. Plan multiple passes, each for a different category-adverbs, empty words, words you use too often. In each pass, don't edit, just identify highlighting is good. Then work through the manuscript one last time, considering and deleting or replacing all of the words you highlighted."
In short, revise in stages to avoid being overwhelmed.
2: REMOVE REDUNDANCY
The first draft of a story is where authors discover the story for themselves they're the only audience at that point. Given that, it's easy to see why overwriting is commonplace in early drafts. When it's time to edit, though, redundancy in meaning should be addressed.
The gas line explosion at the Oakview Senior Center was a horrible tragedy.
Building the birdfeeder so close to the house was an unintentional mistake.
This story is from the May - June 2023 edition of Writer’s Digest.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May - June 2023 edition of Writer’s Digest.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Writing a Great Retelling
When I say retelling, it's Sherlock Holmes who comes to mind. Just in recent film and TV, Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumber-batch stand out for their interpretations of Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved character.
Conflict Avoidance
Setting expectations early in the author-editor relationship can prevent conflict and help manage emotions when the edits come in.
Out to Sea
THE CHALLENGE: Write a drabble-a short story of exactly 100 words-based on the photo prompt below.
Alyssa Cole
In Alyssa Cole's newest thriller, One of Us Knows, the lead character Kenetria Nash is the host of what's known as a \"system,\" a group of personalities that inhabit the same body.
Escalate Conflict to Keep Readers Turning Pages
Draw readers in through physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual conflict.
Better Story Structure Through Musicals and Kung Fu Movies
Build emotion and conflict for your characters and readers by taking a note from the structure of two popular storytelling forms.
The 26" Annual 101 Best Websites for Writers
Creating this list is a yearlong project that involves an overwhelming number of bookmarked sites on our browsers. Th ere are so many great websites for writers—with more popping up practically daily—it’s no wonder this is still one of our most popular features aft er 25 years.
BREAKINGIN
Debut authors: How they did it, what they learned, and why you can do it, too.
WRITERSONWRITING
When I wrote Daughters of Shandong, my biggest challenge was finding a way to convey, in full force, the gravity of what my characters overcame.
A Long-Haul Writer’s Lament
Advice for Those at the Start