Monday's Muse~The Red Pen

This week I've entered the red pen portion of my editing process. Though I love the entire editing process this is by far my favorite part. There is something very satisfying about seeing all those red marks across the pages. It's like a reward for me to get to mark something out or add something in that brilliant red color. I think it makes me feel like I'm improving my work and actually getting somewhere. Polishing away the blemishes, chipping away the rough parts, and fleshing it out where it needs it are all a lot of fun to me. I'm told that I'm the minority when it comes to feeling this way, that most people enjoy writing the rough draft more. But I'm okay with being odd. I have been most of my life, why change now?!

The music that is feeding my editing muse if very different from the music that I listened to while writing this novel. I'm not sure why that is. I'm listening to a lot of Dropkick Murphy's.

I'm still reading Shadow Hills and it gets more intriguing with every page. I wish I had more time to sit down and read it. But then again, this way I get to savor it slowly rather than devour it! How about you? Do you love or hate the editing process? Reading anything you want to savor slowly or are you looking for a good book?

Comments

  1. For me it all depends on the day. Some days I love the writing and others I just want to pull out the red pen or highlighters.

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  2. I love them both but editing wins over by a tiny margin. My better half says I missed my calling. He thinks I should have been an editor! I don't know about that... ;-)

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  3. Oooh, you're getting out the red pen. Maybe it's something not quite right with me but I love it when I see a marked-up manuscript.

    I actually enjoy the revision process SO much better than the drafting process. The words are already there, they just need to be explored.

    For me, drafting is just air and ideas. Much harder.

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  4. I'm not sure. Some days I love editing, others not so much. But I can say that I love seeing my book improving.

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  5. Oh, Heather, you and I are both editing "wierdos", I guess. I can't stand my rough drafts and begin changing things almost right away. But I like to do this on paper, too. I think you see the "Mistakes" better? I don't know. It is like you're building toward that finished product. Like a sculptor with a chisel on marble.

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  6. Heather, I'm one of those I love editing crazy people too. Editing is like taking a lump of clay that you've molded into a form, and now you're carving character and detail into it, creating life. The next stage, throw it in the kiln. Then paint more detail. And another firing. And more detail. It's fun and very rewarding, and I could do it forever. Apparently, I am living that prophesy. ;)

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  7. That's exactly it for me too Karen! The words are already there, I'm just improving them and that makes it so much fun!

    Melissa, it is great to see the improvement isn't it? Though I love editing I have my rough days with it too!

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  8. Like a sculptor with a chisel, I like that Lorelei! I definitely see the mistakes better once everything is written too.

    Karlene, yes, it's a lot like molding clay! I love everyone's comparisons! And I'm so happy to hear I'm not the only one who enjoys editing!

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