Editing HIDDEN: Step 1

People are always asking me about my editing process - as if there's some big mystery surrounding how I take my crappy first draft and turn it into something I'm proud to query or publish.

Since I'm starting my edits on HIDDEN, my upcoming fantasy novel, I thought I'd blog about it as I go, so you can see how I edit.

Keep in mind, editing isn't the same for every person. Each writer has their own process and concerns.

My first confession: I edit on paper. I know, I know, in the digital age, I should be saving trees and editing on my computer.

Believe me, I've tried and I can't do it.

When I edit, it helps to look at the manuscript from a different perspective. I like the feel of paper in my hands. I like being able to rearrange chapters as I go. And, most importantly, I love having lots of colorful editing supplies. It's the twelve-year-old girl in me. ;)

 I'm not just going to dive in and hope for the best. The first editing pass will be very technical. I'm going to write character descriptions (what they look like, how they act, goals, traits) and along the way I will write the theme of each chapter on a note card. You'll see what I do with those note cards later.

That's it for my first pass. No line editing whatsoever. I need to make sure my structure is sound before I worry about the text.

Ready? Set... EDIT!!!!

XoXo,

Megg

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