Editing Out Loud

So, having rewritten the heroine, the villain, and the best friend, I have now begun the trimming process.

Not as easy as it sounds.

You take up your manuscript and think, 'sure. I could do without this word or that.' But that is not enough. We're talking MAJOR cutting here. Hundred of words...thousands.

Some writers can do this with ease...I suppose. But I am not one of them. It took some time and a few trial edits, but I did, in the end, figure out my own secret to trimming the fat.

I'm reading it out loud to my husband.

It's taking forever, yes, but it's working. See, his job (actual, money-making employment) is editing back his own work--and he's very good at it. I'll admit there are times I fight his comments, and sometimes (very rarely) I win, but for the most part we agree to cut words, phrases, even (horror) whole paragraphs.

With the first five chapters, five hundred words were eliminated! Not bad!

The reading aloud part is crucial. It allows me to catch when I miss a word as well as holes I've left in the story and little mistakes that become HUGE when others read your work--like 'he was painting the house blue on page 3, but his paint brush is red two pages later!' Ugh, I hate stuff like that!

So, the work continues. One of these days, people. I am going to get this right. I AM!!!