Cut Until It Hurts
Editing a manuscript reminds me of pruning.
Sometimes you have to cut off perfectly good branches, perfectly good characters, perfectly good scenes, so that the story can flourish.
Proper pruning enhances the beauty of almost any landscape tree and shrub, while improper pruning can ruin or greatly reduce its landscape potential. In most cases, it is better not to prune than to do it incorrectly. In nature, plants go years with little or no pruning, but man can ruin what nature has created. By using improper pruning methods healthy plants are often weakened or deformed.
So while it's important to cut our work, it's also imperative we know what we're doing.
How do you prune without ruining your work? Have you ever overedited? Took advice when you shouldn't have?
Sometimes you have to cut off perfectly good branches, perfectly good characters, perfectly good scenes, so that the story can flourish.
Proper pruning enhances the beauty of almost any landscape tree and shrub, while improper pruning can ruin or greatly reduce its landscape potential. In most cases, it is better not to prune than to do it incorrectly. In nature, plants go years with little or no pruning, but man can ruin what nature has created. By using improper pruning methods healthy plants are often weakened or deformed.
So while it's important to cut our work, it's also imperative we know what we're doing.
How do you prune without ruining your work? Have you ever overedited? Took advice when you shouldn't have?
Comments
I was much happier.
This reminds me of how God prunes us.
~ Wendy
I was just telling my crit partners that when I edit I cut out a lot but end up with a higher word count. LOL
I guess it's like pulling all the weeds and then planting new seeds.
Jennifer! Oh no, LOL. I hate getting stuck. Good example with the seeds!
By the way, I have an award for you over at my blog.
I always revise and prune in a new document, so the original story doesn't get skewered. That way, if I take out more than I should have, I can always go back into the original and find those words again.
Have a great day in the blogasphere, Jessie!
I tend towards wordiness, so I rarely over edit. It's harder to add to a ms than subtract from it. Like grafting branched onto a tree, huh?
Nancy, that's very interesting, and I can't say I'm surprised. Kudos to you for recognizing the problem and writing how you needed to write instead.
Good idea, Patti!
Anita, yep, that's the way to do it!
Good to be in contact again, Jessica! And, yes, I have pruned WRONG way to many times. Still learning how to do it properly!
But once I got over it and just DID it, the new guy turned out to be great!
ARGGHGGHGHGGHGH!
No.
I have not over cut.
Ever.
After writing short, non-fiction pieces, I have the opposite problem. I once re-wrote my entire book because I needed 30,000 more words.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Have a great weekend:)
Blessings,
Karen