The Editing Process

They say that writing is rewriting and for me, boy is that true. I tend to write my first drafts quite quickly, and it shows. There are plot holes everywhere, cliches, stereotypes, and some pretty ‘on the nose’ dialogue. They are what is referred to in writing circles as shitty first drafts.

Not everyone’s first drafts are terrible. I once heard an author speak about his process and he said that his first draft is his final draft, he doesn’t edit, that’s it, one and done. I was stunned and I admit, I thought, who is this guy? and immediately checked out his author profile. He has a huge following and countless published books. I can admit there was a certain degree of jealousy happening on my part.

For the rest of us mere mortal writers, the process of editing is as big, if not bigger, than the writing itself. It’s about getting into the nuts and bolts of the story. It’s about and filling those plot holes, adding depth to characters, identifying and eradicating cliches and stereotypes. It’s about looking at word choices and sentence structure. It’s also about putting the story away for a while and letting it simmer, almost like a good wine. If you are lucky enough to have beta readers, they can also signpost where problems are too.

I like to leave a story for at least a couple of months between drafts. This allows me to come back to it reasonably fresh which also makes it easier, for me anyway, to see the flaws. With The Watcher’s Prey I’ve done three drafts so far and once I have the ARC reader feedback, I will probably do one last round of edits before I commit to the book launch. 

My Editing Routine

Over the years, I’ve experimented with every tool imaginable: online editors, AI-driven suggestions, even color-coded spreadsheets. Yet, I keep returning to the simple pleasure of a printed draft and a sharp pencil.

There’s something grounding for me about editing on paper. The physical act of marking up pages forces me to slow down and truly engage with the writing. I notice rhythm, flow, and tone differently than when I’m reading off a screen. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that I also prefer reading physical books.

I thought hard about my routine, and I’d love to be able to step it out for you and make it look like I put a huge amount of conscious effort into it, but the truth is, I don’t. I print the manuscript (proof copy from scrivener is the format I prefer at this stage of the process) and get out my trusty pencil. I start at page one and keep going until I hit THE END. Then I type up my changes into the manuscript. This helps me consider the changes a second time and often I’ll make even more changes as I go. Then I run it through ProWritingAid to look for overused words, sticky sentences and of course, the good old cliche.

I turn off the option where it identifies sentences it thinks I should rewrite. I didn’t always, but I found that I preferred what I had to what it came up with. After all, I know the characters, the story, the voice and tone better than any computer program. It can tell me statistically and grammatically what ‘could’ replace the sentence I’ve written, but for me writing is about instinct. You’ll never find me correcting anyone’s grammar or sentence structure. For me it’s all about the story, do I care what happens to the characters.

Once I’ve done these things, that’s when it goes in a drawer and I turn to something else. I always have another project I can pivot to. A bit like a palate cleanser before the next course.

Editing by hand may not be the fastest route, but it keeps me connected to my work in a tangible way, the physical process offers a rare kind of focus. I’ve got a few books that I also refer back to frequently including the Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King, The Chicago Manual of Style. There are also other tools like Grammarly, I’ve tried it, it wasn’t for me but know of other writers that swear by it. There’s also one I found recently called Hemingway Editor, but I haven’t had chance to check that out yet. 

You might also want to check out some podcasts like The Creative Penn or Writing Excuses. Finally, there are communities that you can join such as Scribophile, Reedsy forums, and local writing groups. Some of these resources are free, some come with a cost. All of these options can either help you learn more about the process of editing or provide you with access to readers that will give you feedback on your work to inform your editing process.

You’re probably wondering how many drafts are enough to consider a story ready. With the Twisted series I can’t tell you how many drafts of each book there are, I’ve lost track over the years. I tell myself that it’s because its more complicated with multiple books, interlacing stories and different points of view.

For me self-publishing was a decision that I made after a long time of trying to break into traditional publishing, but for me it’s like imaging two teenagers playing in the outback. It’s hot, sunny, and they’ve come across a cliff and at the bottom there is what looks like a cool refreshing pool of water.   One of them races to the edge and over they go, no fear holding them back. The other approaches the edge more cautiously, they are looking for dangers, crocs in the water, rocks hidden beneath the surface. Despite the fact their friend has taken the plunge and not cracked their skull open, or been taken by a croc, they still stand, fear stricken, at the edge of that cliff. When it comes to the Twisted series I’m the one standing on the cliff edge, frozen. 

In keeping with the analogy, The Watcher’s Prey is a metaphorically and emotionally speaking, a much smaller cliff.