Editing your content to death

“Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”
― Stephen King

How many steps does it take from pen to paper to publication?  

One?  A few?  Too many?

I have a confession.  

I edit my content...to death.  I pre-write, then I write, then I edit, then I edit again, and again, then I pass it off to someone else, then I edit again and then, maybe, it's done.  This whole process happens in normally a day, two tops.  Or, at least I used to.  Then I got smart.

http://janefriedman.com/2013/05/31/find-freelance-book-editor/

I heard some great advice in a podcast (The Solopreneur Hour #117) that if you want to be a better public speaker, you should study comedians.  While I use this methodology for speaking, it also transfers well to writing.  One lesson has really stuck lately - your first draft sucks. Tweak it over time. Then, when you've dispersed it enough, throw it out and develop new content. It's helped me to stop my edit-to-death step that comes after creation - instead, I'm letting it develop and editing it a little at a time as it goes.  

While I'm not altogether giving up on editing, I'm taking it more as a long process instead of a hack job.  I pre-write a few bullet points.  Then, I write, whether it be an article, a blog post, content for a marketing piece, or a presentation, and then I let it sit.  I'll browse over it and tweak obvious errors.  I'll pass it along for feedback, then respond to the feedback.  I'll let it sit a bit longer.  I'll look for ways to enhance the piece, and if I can't, I stop trying.  I'll throw it out to the public and let them comment.  And then, if I feel that the message is good, I leave it along.  I write my blog posts a couple weeks ahead so that I have time enough to fix what needs to be fixed, but I no longer fixate on fixing everything...to death.

I realized that writing is not a sprint to the finish, it's a marathon.  

You have to pace yourself.  You have to prepare for the long haul.  If you're spitting out perfect content in the first go, well, you're amazing.  But realistically, your first piece needs work.  Sometimes a lot of it.  Most of the time, though, it doesn't need to be red-penned to death.  Most of the time, it just needs time.

Do you pick your pieces down to the bare bones, or do you fluff it up? 

 I try to land somewhere in the middle.  Content matters, but how it is delivered is obviously important.  No one is going to be interested in a story or presentation that is just bullet point information with no depth; but on the same token, readers and listeners don't want to be walked through every single thought, emotion, or action that you, the writer or presenter, has.  Get to the point in a meaningful way.

How do you determine when your piece is finished?

Nicole
The Restless Entrepreneur

Just a soliloquy

“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
― Jack Kerouac

Once upon a time -

I decided to write down my thoughts, ideas, and plans.  I decided to change my inner monologue, soliloquy, into a conversation.  Maybe I'm the only one who reads it.  Maybe it is just a conversation with myself, or maybe I have the potential to reach a larger audience.  When a person first starts putting pen to paper, or fingers to keys, they don't know how wide their potential reach is.  Who knows what will become of my journal writings and stories?

For at least 15 minutes every day, I make it a point to write.  Some of those writings go here, others get hidden away for my eyes only, and some of those writings are being cataloged for a book I'm working on.  Most days, the words come easily.  I write what I know.  Sometimes, though, I decide to do something I typically dread: creative writing.  I like to think of myself as a thorough technical writer, so creative writing is foreign and uncomfortable.

http://garima82.wordpress.com/2014/04/26/writing/

This summer, I plan to punch out 1000 word chapters.  This summer, I plan to publish an ebook and work toward a larger print book.  This summer, I hope to get enough of a manuscript to submit to a publisher.  This summer, I plan to find a magazine, blog, or other periodical to get published in.  This summer, my goal is to make writing a larger focus of my life, and business.

For me, writing is a release.  Writing is empowering.  The written word is impressive and finite and clear.   Spoken words can be censored and grey.  They can be wishy-washy and undefined.  Maybe it's the introvert in me that prefers the written word over the spoken, but maybe that's why I can effectively communicate through text.  Yes, I communicate just fine with the spoken word, but things become clear with written word.  Even better when I am given the opportunity to combine the two.

How often do you write?  

Does it come easily, or is it a chore?

Nicole
The Restless Entrepreneur