Outtakes 62 Release

Highlighters, Red Pens, Sticky Notes, and Flags

By Cait Collins

There comes a time when every writer must step out of the author box and enter the editor arena. As difficult as creating the story might be, editing is, in my opinion, worse. As writers, we tend to become attached to work. We lose sight of the bigger picture. Every scene has special meaning, the characters are our children. Here’s the reality check. Failure to objectively review our stories and make critical edits lessens the chance of publication.

This is my formula for making the final edits on my novel. I print the entire work. Being a dinosaur, I work better with a printed copy than the computer screen. While the printer is cranking out the pages, I gather my supplies: yellow, blue, pink, and green highlighters, red pens, neon colored sticky notes, and sticky flags. I pour a glass of my favorite wine, gather up the pages of my novel, and curl up on the couch to read.

The first read is for the overall story. I highlight areas that might not contribute to the plot or storyline. Sticky notes are attached for research into customs, geology, history, legal issues, etc. Flags denote possible continuity issues such as name spellings, hair or eye color, time line problems. If the work has an awkward time frame or is too long, I will sketch a screenplay and treatment. These instruments help me to see where I can make cuts or adjustments in the novel. They also give me a second product to submit.

The next step is a chapter-by-chapter review of the notes from my critique group. I do not make corrections following each critique meeting. I’ve found I spend too much time editing the completed chapters and less time finishing the work. Once the novel is finished, I have a better idea of the necessary changes based on the notes. After reviewing a chapter, I will make the corrections in the computer work file. Finally, I do a final read for typo’s, grammar and punctuation errors, word echoes, and tense errors. Now I have a completed work ready for submission.

My method may seem tedious, but it works for me. It allows me to view the novel with an objective eye and submit a quality product. The point is that every writer must develop their own system for editing. There are no rights and wrongs. It’s simply a case of applying the seat to the chair and cutting, adjusting, and correcting. After all, editing is just another phase of the creative process.