Here are some editing techniques given by Debra Adelaide that I have been using since I attended the Write Around the Murray Festival. I have been finding them very helpful, and have even been using them on my short stories. To read more on these editing tips, visit my website.
1st Reading:
- Don’t make corrections, just mark it and keep reading.
2nd Reading:
- Concentrate on cutting.
3rd Reading:
- Concentrate on adding material.
Other tips include:
- Always work from hard copy.
- Space it generously to allow for endless scribbling.
- Print in another font (so it won’t be so familiar).
- Take it to another place where you normally don’t write.
- Use a strongly coloured pen to make corrections.
Final and Most Important Tip:
- Give your work time: ignore it for as long as you can, then return to it with a renewed critical eye.
Thanks for sharing these tips. The final one is important. Giving yourself a chance to move on and then coming back to a piece.