Essential Writing and Editing Tips By Sheila O’Flanagan

Whenever I’m asked for my number one tip on writing, my response is always the same. Sit down in front of your computer, open whatever WP program you want to use, and start. 

This may sound glaringly obvious, but the truth is that until you have words on a page in front of you, there is nothing else worth saying. Reading blogs or joining chat groups about writing isn’t writing. Writing is sitting down at your table or desk and putting words on the page. And you must do this day after day until it becomes a habit.

Many new writers are overwhelmed by the realisation that actually typing the 100k words that the average novel comes in at these days is hard work.

The best way to approach your writing is to set yourself reasonable daily targets, and I’ve found it very helpful to regard individual scenes as targets. When I complete the scene, I take a break before starting again. If it was a particularly long or demanding scene, I’ll let it settle in my head before considering where I’ll take the characters next. You need to be able to feel a sense of achievement every day, and the satisfaction of completing a scene is far more effective than trying to reach an arbitrary (and perhaps unachievable) word count.

It’s not the quantity of the words but the quality of the writing that makes a good novel, and very few writers are going to be pleased with their first efforts. When we read back on what we’ve written most of us are disappointed that it doesn’t live up to our expectations. There’s a temptation to abandon what’s not working and move on to something else, which is why so many writers have half-finished manuscripts languishing in their desk drawers.

In order to finish a piece of creative writing you must allow yourself the freedom to know that from the start you’re making now, you’ll be able to form something a lot more coherent and interesting later. James Michener captured it well when he said ‘I’m not a good writer but I’m an excellent rewriter’. The most important thing is getting the bones of the story down.

New writers sometimes feel that editing is something that’s done when the entire first draft is completed, but editing and rewriting as you go will make things immeasurably simpler when you eventually reach the end. Even if your novel is linear, your mind and your creativity are not, so it’s perfectly fine to stop writing in the middle of chapter sixteen and go back to change the opening of chapter one when you suddenly realise how it might work better.

Rewriting is constant, but I categorise editing into two parts: creative and technical. Creative editing looks at the structure of the plot and at the characters who drive it, and asks if your story is moving at the pace you want it to move and if the characters are acting in a consistent way. Your characters must be real to you, and they also have to be true to themselves, so you need to look at your work with this in mind.

If your character does something unexpected, it must be because their own personality demands it and not because you’ve suddenly decided that you’re going to introduce a plot twist to keep the reader hooked. Good writing will always keep a reader hooked, but random plot twists that are not in keeping with the character you’ve created will irritate your readers. Real life may indeed be random. Fictional characters have to be believable.

All writing benefits from having someone else read it critically, but it’s better not to deal with the editing process by asking a wide selection of friends and family to critique your work. You’ll end up with an avalanche of well-meaning but conflicting advice that may leave you with a crisis of confidence in yourself and your novel – as well as losing you friends when you don’t incorporate every suggestion!

The second element of editing is technical. It’s about the spelling, the grammar and the punctuation, about not overusing words and phrases, and checking for inconsistencies in the text. There are agents who bin documents that haven’t been spell-checked on the basis that if someone didn’t bother to do something so basic, she’s clearly not serious enough about her work. Of course you won’t catch everything, but you want to make your novel as error-free as possible before a submission.

If you work with a publishing house you will also work with a professional editor. While ignoring advice from family and friends is almost mandatory, the advice of your editor is always worth listening to, whether you follow it or not.

Because writers sometimes read back what we think we’ve written, rather than what we actually have, it’s important to have a fresh, unbiased viewpoint.

If you’re going to self-publish, I would strongly advise you to invest in an editor before you finally upload your novel. You’ve worked so hard to produce it, you really want it to be the best it can possibly be and an editor will help to achieve that.

From those early words to the finished novel can be a painstaking journey. Setting yourself reasonable targets, allowing yourself to make mistakes, and being prepared to listen as well as to write will help you get there in the end.

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Sheila O’Flanagan is the award winning author of more than 20 No 1 bestselling novels and 3 collections of short stories. She has also written 2 books for children. Sheila is a director of Fighting Words, founded by Booker prize winner Roddy Doyle, to encourage children to harness their imaginations and creativity. Her latest book is Her Husband’s Mistake www.sheilaoflanagan.com

 

HER HUSBAND’S MISTAKE

THE NO. 1 BESTSELLER

**The page-turning new novel about a marriage, a secret, and a wife’s choice, from the bestselling author of The Missing Wife and The Hideaway**

‘Brilliantly written and with plot twists popping out like Prosecco corks, this is a devour-over-a-weekend gem’ Woman and Home

Dave’s made a BIG mistake. What’s Roxy going to do about it? The riveting new novel from No. 1 bestselling author Sheila O’Flanagan. Perfect for readers of Marian Keyes and Catherine Alliott.

Roxy’s marriage has always been rock solid.

After twenty years, and with two carefree kids, she and Dave are still the perfect couple.

Until the day she comes home unexpectedly, and finds Dave in bed with their attractive, single neighbour.

Suddenly Roxy isn’t sure about anything – her past, the business she’s taken over from her dad, or what her family’s future might be. She’s spent so long caring about everyone else that she’s forgotten what she actually wants. But something has changed. And Roxy has a decision to make.

Whether it’s with Dave, or without him, it’s time for Roxy to start living for herself…

‘One of my favourite authors’ Marian Keyes

Buy the book HERE

 

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips