Editing Methodolgy

Currently reading - Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

How do you edit? Do you have to cut out whole chapters? Do you need music while writing and silence while editing? Vice versa? Do you need to print out the ms and mark it up with a pencil? Or can you edit on the computer screen? Do you use a different method with your own work than you would for reviewing a crit partner's manuscript?

Honestly, there's no right or wrong answer. Everyone's writing/editing style is different.

For my first draft, I have a tendency to write something my crit partners compare to a screenplay. Dialogue and action are there, but little to no emotion, introspection, etc.

The first editing pass involves reading the ms on the laptop screen and taking notes on a lined, legal pad. I clean up the obvious typos as I go, but generally I don't do too much actually editing. Instead, I look at overall flow and consistancy, recording any problems and possible fixes. Then I mark what the POV emotional reaction should be at this point of the story.

For example, when I started on AV&T this morning, I noticed I mentioned Jacob was Thomas's neighbor, but I hadn't said anything in the first sixty pages about his relationship with Anne when they were kids. I'll need to layer additional hints in when I start the second pass, which is when I'll fix the inconsistencies and add the emotional texturing.

I surprised myself by how much emotion I manageed to put in my first draft. Not like me at all.