In my writing journey, the part I have always had the most difficulty with is the editing phase. I can do a sloppy first draft, and I can usually make developmental changes that help the story and character arcs flesh out. However, when it comes to pure grammatical editing, as well as cutting down on lengthy prose, I am a bit reluctant. I especially have trouble cutting down a wordy piece.
In order to have a starting place and some simple go-tos to trim back a few words as needed, I have collected advice from other writers to create this handy editing checklist, which I will now share with all of you!
What I tend to do is finish a draft and walk away! Yes, this is cliche advice that WORKS. I think my ability to edit exponentially grows the longer I can step away from the piece. In general, the longer I spend writing a piece, the longer I need to walk away. A book that takes weeks/months/years, I will need to leave in a drawer for a good month (at least!). However, a short story I spent a few hours drafting, I can leave for a day or two, and usually that’s enough.
Following that, I do the first read/edit. I read through it and find sloppy mistakes, inconsistencies, and make changes to help with the flow of the piece. Then, if I need to cut words or if I just want the piece to be cleaner, I pull out my checklist. This list helps with wordiness and makes things “cleaner” by cutting down on filler prose. If you are using an -ly word, there is usually a stronger adjective/verb where the adverb is no longer necessary. So “a boy running quickly” can become “a boy sprints”, as a very simple example. It cuts out words and elevates your prose. Most of the items in my checklist are similar. I ask myself in each instance, if I remove the words, does it affect the meaning? Does it impact the flow? Usually, it does not change the meaning, and it does affect the flow, but in a good way!
Anyone who spends time writing for years is bound to pick up advice along the way. So, as an old timer, writing for the better part of 20 years, my advice is just that, bits and pieces that I have picked up along the way that work for me. Feel free to pick up your own bits that you believe will serve your writing.
Did you find something in the checklist that resonated with you? Please comment on your biggest takeaway! If you have something that needs to be added to this checklist, please comment with that as well! I am always excited to learn from my fellow writers.
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