Writing for you: Editing for them

Over the past few months, I’ve been wearing many hats. I would liken my situation to ‘career day’ in school. I’ve tried out a few “professions” and realized what I’m interested in doing and what jobs I just don’t have the time to do! What I’ve stumbled into (for lack of a better word), is editing. Now, virtually every writer does basic edits of their own works. I’ve also done small edits for friends in the past. But this is a whole new opportunity! It’s been a fun process so far; albeit challenging.

My biggest concern with editing for someone else is making sure that my own work doesn’t suffer. It doesn’t serve me well to spend all of my energy perfecting someone else’s work and being too tired to focus on my own!

What has been the most helpful for me is constantly referencing the book I’ve been working on. Much like Family Ties, the basic story line of Savior has been rattling around my brain FOR YEARS. There’s something so satisfying about finally fleshing out an outlined plan from a notebook after so many years of sitting.

It’s in the back of my mind, constantly. I’ll think up a line of dialogue and text in into my notes in my phone. I’ll come up with a fun twist and think ‘huh. I should write that down’. What has helped me, immeasurably, is to have my document opened while I edit. I treat it like a reward. 

Finish an edit? Re-read chapter 3! Post corrections? Add a new chapter! Hey, rewards work for my kids so why not for me too?

And I can tell you, with absolute certainty, that there’s nothing more rewarding than finally writing down what I want to say. You should do the same!

*J. Essex

~If you liked what you read here but you thought it was too wordy, you can read shorter “pearls of wisdom” on my twitter page: @essex_jessi , facebook page: @jessiessexauthor , or email me: jessexauthor@gmail.com