Editing

I love being a writer. It is the biggest passion in my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The problem is that I struggle with almost everything that comes after the draft is written. The first step and most important part is the editing but I am woefully unskilled at that part of the writing process. I struggle to go through my own writing to find errors and plot holes for many reasons.

Some of the issues are glaringly obvious but many of them are minor concerns I may not be able to pick up on. I am generally ok with finding typos or a word that I was going so quickly I forgot to include but for certain plot holes my brain knows what it is supposed to be so I find it hard to pick out when things are missing.

Even the plot holes are not the worst part however. There is one part that as a writer I should be so much better versed in than I am and that is grammar. I was always terrible when it came to grammar lessons in school and I hate worrying about it now. I was turned on to some websites and applications I can use online for free that will help and I am grateful for that though I am deeply afraid the first time I use it just how many errors I will be told I have.

Once I have my long list of corrections I must go back and fix them as I attempt the rewrite part. This one isn't so bad as long as I make my notes as I go through the first time. Some writers pull up the document in a review style, something I just learned existed, and they will edit and make notes right there on their computer. Because I struggle to even read on my ebook reader I prefer to do it the old fashioned way with pens, highlighters and notes in the margins.

Right now I am working on my novel from last year's Nanowrimo. I am under deadline which is probably the only reason I am pushing through as quickly as I am. I am grateful to my friends that are actually good at the editing process and have offered the sites like grammarly.com and Hemingway to help make the parts I struggle with easier and hopefully in time I will learn to become better at the editing process.