Indulge me for a moment, as I comment on two words: “dreck” and “spectacular.”

Every author develops their own repertoire of writing hacks over time. Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser, a devotee of the Hero’s Journey, the beat-sheet approach of Save the Cat, or a modified version of Freytag’s Pyramid, you’ve picked up tips and tricks along the way.

The editing journey—if you’re a typical indie author with a limited budget—includes the first draft, the substantive edit, the copy and line edit(s), and proof-reading. My own process isn’t the gold standard by any means, but as “one beggar showing others where to find bread,” here’s what I’ve adopted and adapted over the past decade.

First (& Second) Draft

Or maybe my ideas were actually circling the drain. Or perhaps caught in the vortex of a toilet flush.

Because I wasn’t writing. I was (over) thinking myself into mental paralysis.

Writing my first draft with pen and paper has been creatively liberating in ways I didn’t think possible. It’s also how I approach character back-stories and world-building. I’m still amazed at the freedom and creativity brought about by the age-old instruments of pen and paper.

I put “second draft” in parentheses because at some point I have to input what I’ve written into my laptop. Inevitably, I end up copy-editing and revising at the same time.

Every time I change mediums—from analog to digital—it’s like reading through a new set of lenses.

Substantive (Developmental) Edit

The blue binder in the picture is Treehawke, which is awaiting its substantive edit. The white binder contains Darkwood, which has just survived its final-pass-before-proof-copy (more on that later).

And the binders are inevitably littered with the darlings I’ve killed along the way. Favorite words, sentences, paragraphs—entire scenes, at times . . . the chopping block takes all comers.

Of course, when I re-enter the changes into my Macbook, another round of copy-editing simultaneously takes place. It’s like an addiction.

Prepping for the Print Version

“What?!” My creative muse is not amused. “Haven’t you killed enough darlings already?”

Whenever I’m forced to change what I’ve written to satisfy the blood-thirsty gods of page layout, it always improves how the story is told.

Proof-reading

After the manuscript is formatted for print, I order an author’s proof copy. Reading your manuscript on 8.5×11″ paper is revealing, and the same applies when you change mediums to a two-page spread in book form.

And I sit down, notebook and coffee at the ready, for the most excruciating task an indie author must face: the proof-read. Here’s why it’s absolutely crucial:

1. Spell-check doesn’t catch everything. If I’ve accidentally typed “if” instead of “in” (actual error), it’s jarring.
   
2. My brain inserts words that aren’t there, even at the best of times. It’s even worse now, because I wrote the story in the first place.
   
3. Grammar check doesn’t catch everything.

That means I embrace the practice of reading out loud (or at least muttering under my breath), while simultaneously tapping each word with a pen as I slowly read (see #2 above). And scribble in my notebook the page, paragraph, and line number of any errors or omissions I find.

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of going slow. This isn’t the one-hundred-yard dash for the finish line. My readers deserve the best I can give them. Beta and ARC readers should be able to expect the same.

Again, this is the process I’ve evolved into over the past decade. It’s not a “one size fits all” approach. As the saying goes, “eat the meat and spit out the bones.”

But I encourage challenge dare you to change mediums—from analog to digital to proof copy—and see if it doesn’t improve your writing. 🙂