M. Lori Motley

I think I have an uber-editing disease. I have one novel that I have edited and proofread about 27 times.

Why?

I occasionally get the feeling it is because I am scared to let my baby out into the world, but then I realize that is other people talking. I’m not scared really, I just don’t think I’m good enough. Actually, I know I’m not.

But, since no writer is ‘perfect,’ and a writer with fifty novels on the hard drive and none in the hand is NOT what I want to be, how much editing is enough?

An editing rundown:

1. Read through for plot holes and fix them
2. Examine for timeline or fact problems and fix them
3. Search for adverbs and passive verbs and see if they need fixing.
4. Realize I missed a plot hole or two and fix them
5. Suddenly get a GREAT new idea for a subplot and wedge it in
6. Do all the above steps to the new sections
7. Wonder if it wouldn’t be better in a different POV and try it out
8. Switch it back to the original point of view
9. Get sick of it and leave it alone for a month
10. Read through again and realize it’s pretty good
11. Start line-by-line proofreading
12. Find another plot hole….

THIS is why I don’t finish anything. I must learn when enough is enough.