Surviving the Editing Process by Judy L Murray

I’ve just finished the first editing phase for my fourth book in The Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series and sent it to my editor at Level Best Books. Now I’ve thrown myself prostrate across my couch. Literally.

Most authors, once they complete the first draft, and all its rewrites along the way, breathe an enormous sigh of relief. We’ve done it! We’ve got it down! It’s a book! My heart beats fast. I do a mental happy dance and break out my favorite cocktail to celebrate the moment. My husband sighs with relief. He foolishly thinks he might see me more than twenty minutes a day. Perhaps we can watch a BritBox mystery together or take a day trip?

But authors know first draft completion is just phase one of a very long process. I look forward to editing, confident I’ll enjoy whipping through my pages and wrapping them up in a big email red bow within a few days. I rub my hands in anticipation. That’s when my personal Editing Process Editor raises her ugly head and sneers at paragraph after paragraph. My cat, Watson, protests with "Are we done yet?"

Here are my basic steps that help me survive editing hell:

Step one: I open Review tool in Microsoft Word. Some authors prefer Scrivener and other software. In Review, I work through each scene, deleting and inserting copy. As I move along, I add New Comments within Review and note any concerns I will address later. New Comments create an automatic list along the right side of the screen. Once I’ve endured discovering my story’s lapses, I return to these comments and revise, again, and again.

Step Two: I move on to checking for all too frequently used words. I’ve collected a number of helpful lists. Words like said, maybe, that, and look. It’s a very long list. I’ll be curious how many other authors enter a stage of shock when they insert a word into ‘Find’ and, for example, see 186 uses of ‘think’ or ‘know’ appear. Heaven save me!

As painstaking as this process seems, I find these searches extremely useful. It isn’t just about reducing word frequency; it’s how I’m often forced to rethink an entire paragraph. It’s hard work but each time I change or delete the word I overused, my story improves considerably. For me, it’s an excellent way to push myself beyond my instinctive word use boundaries. Typically I’ll devote four or five long days to this stage, but the number of improvements I make to the quality of my story as a result astounds me. It’s tedious but rewarding.

Step Three: My last task is one mentioned during a Zoom meeting for Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime. I start again and return to Review, choosing Read Aloud. I then listen to the entire book. You can adjust the voice and speed of the reader. It’s a very lengthy procedure and I’ll admit I nod off throughout my day. I listen not just for context but for spelling and punctuation errors. Again, I’m amazed at how much listening to my novel flushes them out. Some authors prefer to read their drafts aloud. I find it too easy to gloss over errors because of my familiarity with the storyline.

There are many resources to help us through revisions. I found these two helpful:
Refuse to Be Done, How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts by Matt Bell.
Mystery Writers of America University Dialogue Class given by Donna Andrews August 7, 2024. MWA and SinC provide excellent webinars on revising. Their fees are miniscule compared to the quality of education they provide.

As many of you know, the developmental editor will put their red pencil to my precious story. I’ll hold my breath as I open her response and read her comments. For the next few weeks I can take a little time off while ramping up some marketing efforts I’ve neglected.

Everyone has their own way of surviving the editing process. I’ll look forward to hearing other’s suggestions. I’m sure you have many to share. If you haven’t discovered my award-winning series yet, you’re missing a treat.

Ever onward Authors!