My
writing, like me, could stand to lose 30 pounds.
Try
as I might to write lean and edit leaner, surplus words still slip
in.
Ironic,
since much of my time as a freelance book editor goes toward
liposuctioning fat from another's writing.
“Overwriting
is certainly one of my literary vices,” my current client said
after I'd emailed him a sample of how I'd edit his novel, “so
please feel free to apply a chainsaw (rather than a scalpel) as you
see fit.”
He
may not realize I do the same with my own words.
At
my day job, I sometimes adapt articles from material I first posted
here. I open the file hoping I won't have to change much. I'm almost
always wrong.
The
difference? Months have passed, giving me a fresh perspective.
Instead of viewing the words as my own, I can see them more
objectively.
Instead
of seeing what I meant to write, I see what I actually wrote.
Time
to start cutting.
New
York Times
bestselling novelist Jerry B. Jenkins advises writers to print their
work, put the pages in the freezer overnight, then look at them cold.
With
some metaphoric allowance, that works for me.
3 comments:
If writers had to weigh in their books like truck drivers, I'd pay fines every week. It is the hardest thing for me to do--cut my story down to a manageable size. But I do end up making changes to the plot, my characters, and even the setting as I do so. That kind of surgery reveals all flaws, not just the excess fat. I'll try the freezer thing. Hope it won't hurt my Macbook.
Yeah, I have trouble keeping it down.
Ha, what a good word picture you left us with. Brr!
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