However, I wanted to look at a different facet of this sentiment this week. Because the first draft is a breakneck run as you cut the path and just try to get from point A to point B. Editing, though? Editing can't be rushed, or put off until later. Editing is all the detail work you didn't necessarily have time and energy for during that initial rough draft run.
You need to slow down during editorial... take your time. Because your readers will be taking time to stop and smell the roses, which is why you should make sure you fill in the sights, smells, and textures of every bouquet they pass along the way.
 |
| It's a lot, I'm not going to lie. |
But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.
Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!
Editorial Has Different Goals
There are a few other well-thumbed pearls of writing advice floating around I want to rope in here. The first is The only thing a rough draft has to do is exist, and the other is You can't edit a blank page. The interaction of these sentiments embodies the necessary gear change that too many of us neglect to do when it comes to our writing, and our stories can suffer from it.
In short, the rough draft's goal is to get from the beginning to the end as fast as possible. It's the sketch layer of your drawing. There are some good vibes, sharp pieces of dialogue and fun action scenes, but you probably aren't stopping to detail every flower, scent, and sensation in every scene. There's also going to be quite a few things just left dangling, or not fully fleshed out. Some of them might even be, "Protagonist has snappy comeback here."
You run into difficulty, though, when you treat your editorial stages with the same attitude as your rough draft. Because once the draft is done, and you're going back over it, that's when attention to detail matters. That's where you're making placement corrections, shifting the colors, and smoothing out awkward flow in your plot. But if you approach your editing sweeps with the attitude of trying to get it done as fast as possible, you're going to wind up with a slapdash story that's going to need even more editing to fix it.
 |
| Getting all the layers is REALLY important, here. |
Too often we think of writing as a one-and-done. You put the words on the page, you hit the end, and maybe you read it over for spelling mistakes, but then you're done. That is not, in fact, the way it works. Instead, it's better to think of writing a story as similar to painting. You generally lay down a sketch of the work to get the general thrust onto your canvas. Then once the sketch is done, you may add darker lines, creating a more hard-edged, final outline. At that point you start layering in paint. And it is that layering that gives you the final result as you build it one layer after another, until it creates the optical illusion that this is all just a single, seamless image.
That is what you're doing in editorial with your story. Yes, you got the rough sketch layer done. Maybe you were even efficient, and you go the dark edges done as well. But editorial is where you start adding in those color layers to really make the image pop, to draw the eye, and to do things that you simply could not have done earlier in the process. This is where you're really looking at building the finished product.
Some stories, like some paintings, are relatively simple. Maybe they only need a couple of layers (or just two coats and a sealant) before they're done and ready to hang. Others need a lot of attention to detail because there are complicated things going on here, and each layer adds into the next layer in a way that needs to be deliberate.
At the end of the day, though, you can do a little rushing on the rough draft. You can leave some blank spaces, and a few Fill This In Later sticky notes as long as it keeps the story flowing. But when editorial comes around you need to roll up your sleeves and get that part done instead of just spackling over it because you want to be done for realsies.
That, too, is part of the process.
Support The Literary Mercenary
If you want to see me produce more work, consider some of the following options!
- The Azukail Games YouTube Channel (where I contribute video content)
- The A.L.I.C.E. Files (a channel full of short stories, many of which are mine)
And if you happen to have some spare dosh lying around, and you want to be sure my supply doesn't run low, consider become a Patreon patron, or leaving a tip by Buying Me a Ko-Fi!
Also, if you're curious about how to write for tabletop RPGs, don't forget to check out my show Tabletop Mercenary, which you can find on both the Azukail Games channel!
Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!
That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sci-fi dystopian thriller Old Soldiers, the Hardboiled Cat series about a mystery solving Maine Coon in Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my most recent short story collection The Rejects!
And to stay on top of all my latest news and releases, collected once a week, make sure you subscribe to The Literary Mercenary's mailing list.
If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!
