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For me, setting a deadline goal and making it public works. Because knowing that there's a countdown timer showing how my editing time is dripping away really does a lot to keep me focused.
Maybe you'd need something different, but if you haven't started editing yet, I strongly suggest that you find something to work toward.
Why? Well... editing (while I love it) is not exactly the world's most exciting thing to do. I find it fun, but at the same time, it's a lot more like work than the sheer joy of pure creation as experienced during drafting.
So I need to remind myself that I am working toward something. Because I believe that editing every day is the wisest course.
If I leave long periods without editing, I have to read the story again to pick up where I left off, which wastes more time because reading the story again will either mean that I'll have to edit from the beginning, or taking more time to get distance again.
Also, if I leave the editing too late, I'll either end up taking forever to finish my WiP, or rush towards the date of completion. And rushing is hardly ever a good idea.
If I rush, I get sloppy. If I get sloppy, I'll miss some important things that need to be fixed. Which means that I'll probably have to go back and do it again. No one's idea of fun.
For the same reason, I strongly suggest that you don't see your editing goal as set in stone. Because, if you're still undiscovered, it's more important to do the job right than do the job fast.
But do what you must to get the job done.
Look Out for These:
1) Long periods without editing.
2) Procrastination
3) Feeling pressure because you haven't done any meaningful edits in a longer time than you think feels good.
How do you stay motivated during the editing phase?
Editing is hard for. I do find, if I put something aside for a while my brain is clearer. I can look at it with fresh eyes and see many thing I couldn't see before.
ReplyDeleteI find that too, so I always take a break between drafts and edit rounds. Still, it's not something I do while still in a round, because the cons of having to pick up where I left off outweigh the pros of getting distance. :-)
DeleteI hate editing, and always have. Give me the excitement of a new story any time!
ReplyDeleteI kid myself that I'm giving myself 'distance' and 'developing my critical eye', but really I'm just putting it off. I need a real good kick in the bum!
Hahahahaha yes... it's only developing a critical eye if you actually look at your work. ;-P
DeleteHaving a goal for a deadline definitely keeps me motivated to stay on focus too. Great post Misha - thank you for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteGood to know I'm not the only one. :-D
DeleteI had a manuscript recently that got absolutely eviscerated. It'll take me months before I'm even willing to look at it again. Then months of editing. I take all the criticism in small bites so that I can process it all.
ReplyDeleteOoooh that's not nice. Good luck with the recovery. :-)
DeleteI'm a natural editor, fortunately, and pretty dogged at it. I edited Tainted Souls probably 15 times before sending it out, and another five before publishing it as an ebook. Writing is when I procrastinate. Anything's easier than to sit down and actually write (as I'm finding now).
ReplyDeleteHahahahahaha luckily for me, I actually love both. At the same time, I always have this devil on my shoulder telling me to procrastinate. :-)
DeleteIf I have a self-imposed deadline I'm not above lying about it. For real deadlines, I'm pretty good. I must work on not lying.
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha yes.... that's why making it public is vital to my success. It keeps me honest, because I'm pretty sure someone will notice if I change the dates. ;-)
DeleteEditing -- It's hard to stay motivated! But I can also wallow around on something forever, tweaking and revising, changing and mucking about, until I'm at my wit's end.
ReplyDeleteMy hard part isn't so much editing, it's stopping. ;^)
A-to-Z visitor here! Nice blog!
Mhm... that's the one thing I'm wondering about myself. I feel as if the ms is close to perfect... but is it really?
DeleteI totally understand this. I keep myself motivated just by looking at the page numbers (126 pages more to go! Yay! LOL!). Plus I'm the kind of person who's a little bit OCD. Gotta get to the finish line before {insert insane and ridiculous reason here}. Hehehe! Good luck with your editing!
ReplyDeleteI used to look at page numbers, but during revisions, I added over 20k words, so it sort of became demoralizing. ;-)
DeleteAha Misha,
ReplyDeleteYes, it's me and I've just been Heading over from my insignificant blog to see how you are doing in the amazing challenge that bring further awareness of the alphabet :)
I was going to go to the 'Procrastination Workshop'..maybe next week...
Seriously, have fun and happy writing.
Your starstruck fan, Gary
Hey Gary! So glad to see you on my blog. Can't wait to visit yours again. Will do so first thing May 1st. ;-)
DeleteI'm the queen of procrastination, especially when it comes to editing. I have to give a goal date to my friends and have them shame me into finishing on time!
ReplyDeleteHahahaha yeah I am as well, in general. That's what the countdown timer is for. :-D
DeleteThanks for the tips about editing. I'll keep that in mind as I start out.
ReplyDeleteOooh! Good luck!
DeleteAh, I actually like editing! And I tend to be able to do it in shorter snippets of time than first-draft writing. That helps keep up the motivation.
ReplyDeleteI love editing. It's a wonderful feeling to see how the ms improves with each time I look it over. ^_^
Delete^Ditto. That is to say, I find that editing requires a different kind of juice from me than creating from scratch. Oh, yeah, I can tinker with my romance novel till the cows come home, I heart my characters so much. Ask me how much work I've managed on completing the other two projects that've been simmering so long on my back burner they've probably evaporated. :-)
ReplyDeleteSome Dark Romantic
Better yet - don't ask. :-D
DeleteHahahahaha ok I won't ask. I'm thinking it's a while, though. ;-P
DeleteOnce May gets here, I'll definitely be setting some editing deadlines. I'm getting nowhere fast!
ReplyDeleteYeah that's always a frustrating feeling. Good luck with your edits.
DeleteI LOVE the editing phase because it's when my story starts to come together and I can fine-tune things.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy editing for the same reason. I love seeing the shine coming through. :-)
DeleteI can edit other writers' MS's, but with mine? Pfft, I can't do it with mine, at all! I'm a good CP, but a bad self-editor. I need to completely detach myself from my own project for a time before I can really do anything constructive with it. Maybe one day I can achieve the perfect harmony with my writing. For now, though, I need some help :)
ReplyDeleteI can go over my ms once every two months without crit help, if I didn't touch it for time before it. And then I'd STILL miss a lot.
DeleteSo much easier to have good crit partners to help me.
I love deadlines. They are the only thing that keeps me focused on a task :)
ReplyDeleteLisa
http://livethemoment09.blogspot.com
Yes they do encourage focus. :-)
DeleteEditing is the beautiful part and phase of writing... and i must say quite vital phase of book writing
ReplyDelete