I am in the final stages of editing my novel and I have a question for other writers. Screen or paper? I wrote a post some time ago about how I love the physical act of putting pen to paper and how for me, writing (as opposed to typing) is part of the creative process.
I've never composed straight onto the screen even though it seems to be the norm these days. Even during NaNoWriMo, I don't, which means I will never experience the jubilation of uploading my NaNo novel to have the word count verified. (Mind you, I've never achieved the magic 50,000 words, but that's another story.) For me, it's pen to paper every time. Composing directly onto the screen just doesn't work for me; but put a pen in my hand, and off I go.
When it comes to editing, I print out a copy and use it for the first round of edits. I write all over that paper copy as I make changes or add notes. There are crossings out, additons, arrows, notes in the margins, notes on the back of the sheet. I can do all that because I'm working on paper.
How do all you on-screen writers cope at the editing stage? Doesn't it curtail your thought processes?
After that first major edit, I then transfer those changes onto my screen copy. Subsequent edits are done on the computer unless there is a substantial piece of rewriting to be done and then I print out that part, because rewriting, just like the original writing, is better done on paper.
Here's another question for the on-screen editors: If you want to do a substantial re-jig of a scene or a chapter, how do you cope? It's so much easier to flick to and fro through sheets of paper than to scroll up and down a screen... isn't it?
Is it me? Or are there others out there who prefer to work on paper? Do leave a comment and tell me about the process that works for you.
(My friend Jan Baynham is also busy editing. She blogged recently about what she has learned so far from the process and last week she welcomed the first of several writer friends to her blog to discuss their own approaches to editing. Jan's blog is here.)
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Comments (9)
An integral part of my editing process, though, whether it's on screen or paper, is reading the entire manuscript aloud. I catch so many issues that way, minor errors as well as major inconsistencies in both characters and dialogue.
As you and others of said, writing and editing do come down to individual preferences. When you find what works for you, stick to it!