Tips this week is on writing. Specifically, on writing/editing my short stories. Ideally, this is how it would go:
Write the story. Don't think about it unless you have to.
Spell check.
Take a 5 to 10 minute break.
Do a quick skim, fixing any small mistakes I find.
Read through again very intensely and trying to find mistakes.
Underneath that, retype the whole thing, rewriting any parts that don't feel right, adding anything that feels more natural or adds emotion.
Read through new version, trying to add small details here and there to give the story realism.
Read through one more time, as a reader or editor, just trying to read the story as if it's not mine.
So, that is how I do the writing process of my short stories if I have time. If I'm rushing to put together a blogpost, it looks a little more like this:
Write story.
Spell check.
Quick skim.
Look for mistakes.
Rewrite a few parts where it doesn't feel right.
Obviously, this won't work for every one, but I encourage you to try it, and if you do it differently, tell me about it in the comments! I want my comment section to be a place of conversation, arguments, encouragement, and tips! Just anything is amazing though. (If you made it this far in the post, comment with your favorite kind of soda. Woot.)
So, thanks everyone! Have a splendid rest of your Tuesday, and I'll see you on Friday or Saturday!
Elsie
Still trying to figure out a not lame signature.
(If you see this comment with "waffles and bacon")
Waffles and bacon.
ReplyDeleteCoke.
Don't worry about not having a lame signature (your's isn't) 'cause you can't get much lamer than mine, and I'm still using it! :P
Anyways, I actually do all of the things you were saying, except after I write the whole thing, I spell check and fix bad wording/funky lines at the same time. Then I go back over the whole thing again in a "quick skim". Great post! <3