kitty huang
New Member
Hello All,
I got a good article, written by Guest Columnist Mike Nappa, hope it can help to all the authors.
Here, briefly, is how that process works:
1. The Close-In Writing The basic method: You write a day’s worth of work (either fiction or nonfiction)—whatever that means for you. Next day, before you write anything new, you revise and edit the previous day’s work. This is the “close-in writing,” and becomes the first draft—the first time your write your book.
2. The Close-In Edit When the entire first draft is complete, you go back through and, beginning with word one to the end, you revise and edit the entire manuscript on your computer. This is the “close-in edit,” and becomes your second draft: the second time you write your book.
3. The Distance (or “Hand”) Edit Next, you print a hard copy of the second draft of your entire manuscript...hand-edit the hard copy,..Then, using your hand-edit notes as a reference, you go back into your computer file and revise the manuscript as needed. This is the “distance edit,” and becomes your third draft: the third time you’ve written your book.
4. The Oral Edit Finally, you print a new hard copy and read your entire manuscript aloud. Start with word one and don’t stop until you read the last word. Yes, it may take you several days, but that’s OK.
As you read, note any places where the phrasing causes you to stumble, the wording feels confusing or out of place, or your mind seems to wander from the text in front of you. Those places need to be cut or rewritten, so as you’re reading aloud, pause to make notes as to what to do to improve them. When you’re done, incorporate your notes into the computer file of your manuscript. You’ve now finished the “oral edit”—and written your book four times.
At this point, you will be: a) extremely sick of your book, but b) finished.
Yes, this is a tedious, tiring process. But it works.
I got a good article, written by Guest Columnist Mike Nappa, hope it can help to all the authors.
Here, briefly, is how that process works:
1. The Close-In Writing The basic method: You write a day’s worth of work (either fiction or nonfiction)—whatever that means for you. Next day, before you write anything new, you revise and edit the previous day’s work. This is the “close-in writing,” and becomes the first draft—the first time your write your book.
2. The Close-In Edit When the entire first draft is complete, you go back through and, beginning with word one to the end, you revise and edit the entire manuscript on your computer. This is the “close-in edit,” and becomes your second draft: the second time you write your book.
3. The Distance (or “Hand”) Edit Next, you print a hard copy of the second draft of your entire manuscript...hand-edit the hard copy,..Then, using your hand-edit notes as a reference, you go back into your computer file and revise the manuscript as needed. This is the “distance edit,” and becomes your third draft: the third time you’ve written your book.
4. The Oral Edit Finally, you print a new hard copy and read your entire manuscript aloud. Start with word one and don’t stop until you read the last word. Yes, it may take you several days, but that’s OK.
As you read, note any places where the phrasing causes you to stumble, the wording feels confusing or out of place, or your mind seems to wander from the text in front of you. Those places need to be cut or rewritten, so as you’re reading aloud, pause to make notes as to what to do to improve them. When you’re done, incorporate your notes into the computer file of your manuscript. You’ve now finished the “oral edit”—and written your book four times.
At this point, you will be: a) extremely sick of your book, but b) finished.
Yes, this is a tedious, tiring process. But it works.
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