If you’re a writer, you’ve probably heard a LOT of advice about writing. Sometimes it’s great, but sometimes it may seem counterintuitive or confusing—especially cut and dry statements that don’t give you much real advice to go with it. Today my guest, multi-genre indie author, Lydia MacClaren, has some thoughts to share about why she doesn’t agree with the “don’t edit as you draft” rule. And as an editor myself, I also follow many of her alternative ideas of what to do when ideas change direction during drafting. 🙂 Read her post below and let me know if you edit as you write!
❤ Amber
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” – Pablo Picasso
This quote sums up how to handle every “writing rule” you may hear because with every rule comes a host of exceptions. But, there is one rule that seems to cemented into the collective consciousness of all writers. One golden rule that all agree is true no matter which writer you speak with. What rule is this?
Do not edit as you write your first draft.
Or, said another way, “Your first draft just needs to be done!” And while there is wisdom in such sentiments, I dare to suggest that this rule, like all the other writing rules, has its exceptions. Dear writer, I propose that it is, in fact, absolutely acceptable to edit as you write!
Why shouldn’t you edit while you write?
First, let’s address why you shouldn’t edit while you write. This common piece of advice is so widely accepted, and there’s good reason! It’s because it works. It can be helpful to set a firm and fast rule that there will be no revisions in the first draft. After all, no first manuscript is ready to publish, so you just need to get words down so that you can then transform it into something worthwhile.
If you get swept into all the nit-picky details of editing, perhaps it is best to simply shut that part of your brain and just write. If that’s true for you, embrace that part of your writing process!
But the crux of most of this no-editing advice is the assumption that if you try to edit as you go you will never complete your first draft. And that’s where I disagree…
Why should you edit as you write?
For some writers, it’s difficult to simply turn off that editor. Editing as you write can also be part of the creative process. The important part isn’t how you reach the finish line, but simply that you reach it. Certainly, it will take longer if you adjust story elements as you go, but that doesn’t mean you won’t ever reach that finished first draft. I would even argue that, theoretically, you would even have a tidier first draft than some who abstained from any form of editing.
Writing is not a race. It is an art. Treating it as a push to get to the end forgets that writing is a journey in itself.
How should I edit as I go?
Editing as you go does not mean in-depth or all-encompassing. Rather, it’s handling surface issues and slight adjustments that may sometimes not result in any actual change.
Adjust Overarching Details:
Don’t get lost in the weeds of specific words, that’s for another round of edits. Instead, focus on edits you want to make that affect the overall story. Don’t get caught up with which synonym to use, but whether you want to change the garden scene to a kitchen.
Make Inline Notes
Sometimes, you may want to change something that will require too much work at the moment. Instead of going back through a 100-page document, make an inline note. If you decide that you want the ballroom to be across from the throne room instead of a wholly different building, make a note. It’s these editing comments that make you break from the task of writing but will help you in the coming drafts.
Keep a Tab on Everything
Keep a journal of all important details: worldbuilding, geography, character information, etc. As you’re writing, if you decide you want to make a major change to something you’ve already written, just make a note of that in your journal. If you want to change your love interest’s eye color, make a note! While similar to in-line notes, these notes also encompass things that don’t just need to be changed in story-past, but in story-future as well.
Only Go Back So Far:
It’s not productive to decide that you need to jump seven scenes back to switch the conversation between Characters A and B to Characters B and C. It’s this sort of editing that keeps you from completing Draft 1. Focus on where you are, on the scenes that you are currently writing. If you do decide that the characters involved in that conversation need to change, make a note of that, then move forward and write the subsequent scenes as if you had already changed the scene.
Do What Works For You:
This little delve into editing as you write may convince you to give it a try and not be so diligent in simply writing. Great! But also remember, it may not work for you. You may not find your flow, you may become too distracted, or you may decide you like pushing out the first draft as quickly as possible. Also great! What is important for a writer is to find what style of writing works for them.
One last word about rules…
How we arrive at a completed manuscript doesn’t matter, as much as the content of our books. While writing “rules” are called “rules” they aren’t that at all. They are suggestions, what others have found helpful, and the tried and true advice passed down through generations of writers.
So, write without editing, or edit as you write, but in both, remember that the only important thing is honoring the Lord with our craft. What matters is that the message wound through whatever genre we write is the one of redemption through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for our sins.
Now, go write a book! (And maybe edit it at the same time too…)
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Lydia MacClaren has been writing since her earliest memories, mostly about imaginary lands and their people. She lives in rural Pennsylvania with husband and young daughter. When she is not chasing around her toddler, she writes. When she is not writing, she dreams about her fictional worlds.
You can learn more about Lydia’s writing at the links below:
Free Cozy Romantic Fantasy Novella (https://www.lydiamacclaren.com/free-novella)
Books by Lydia (https://www.lydiamacclaren.com/books)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/lydiamacclaren/)
Amber Lambda - Author & Editor 