Edith, how many times do I have to tell you? I must finish
my work first before you can start checking it!
Sigh.
--
Borrowing the analogy I made the other entry, I would
compare a writer editing his draft with a sculptor applying finishing touches
to his work. Both serve a common purpose: to make their work the most excellent
version of themselves. It is especially difficult because it is almost always a
given that what they had in mind (the rawest expressions of their works) would
be unrecognizable from the physical manifestation of their creation. In other
words, works transform because artists transform, and I do not know about the
others, but I would usually have no idea whether or not the evolution of my
pieces is an indication that they have, indeed, become better.
Editing is probably the main reason why I always find myself
in a quagmire; this rather confusing process demands my work to be in its best
form, and to do it efficiently, I must be brutally honest and objective with
myself. As a result, no editing would happen; I would always end up admitting
that, to begin with, my storylines suck. Even if there is a way to traverse it
as efficient and as immersive as possible, the path remains the same. I would
always go back to where the road started, distraught and ashamed.
I have learned from my past experiences, though. Presently,
I am quite certain that I can write short stories that could be considered as
such. Novels? Definitely someday. This may come across as me being all high and
mighty, but to be fair to myself, I have been self-defeating my entire
life.
Note to self: Create a story that is worth editing.
Since I am still on the process of creating characters for a
short story that I plan to post here and in Reddit (r/NoSleep), I think it is
wise to at least give you a glimpse of what editing in writing is about
(because this entry is about editing, duh, F.).
The educators at "Start Writing Fiction" has given
us a task to edit a certain passage down to no more than two lines and answer
questions regarding it.
The heavy black and blue winter sky groaned awfully with
rain clouds that at any moment were really about to fall crashing heavily down
upon the street where, because it was rush hour, so many people, wearing all
manner of different clothes, hats, shoes, boots, some of them carrying bags,
suitcases, briefcases, scampered and strolled about the place as though
oblivious to what was just about to happen over their very heads. One of these
people was called Hilary and concealed inside her voluminous coat she carried
the loaded, snub-nosed gun, and she also seemed to be the only one looking
upwards into the tempestuous thundery heavens.
This is my version:
Concealing her snub-nosed gun in the depths of her coat,
Hilary chuckles to herself as she grows aware of the peace and quiet, looking
at the roaring, heavily-clouded winter sky and then to the large crowd of
people rushing mindlessly towards their destinations. "A literal and
metaphorical calm before the storm," she utters weakly to herself as she
wonders what will paint the white ground first: the chilling rainwater or her
target's warm blood.
Honestly, I think I overdid it.
Luckily for me, answering the educators' questions is a
great way to explain all of this.
1.) What really matters about this scene?
- Several, but what matters most is the character (Hilary)
because she is the one progressing the story. Once you put her out of the
equation, the passage would then be descriptive rather than narrative. Also,
another interesting thing to take note of is Hilary hiding a gun inside her
coat. Surely such a detail would not fail to pique one's curiosity. Why does
she have a gun? Will she use it in this part of the story? Who is her target?
Or is it just for self-defense?
- For my answer to be more complete, I will tell the things
that do not matter (or are given unnecessary emphasis) about the scene. First
and foremost, the obvious: enumeration of what people are wearing and carrying.
It does not only make the paragraph unnecessarily longer; it also feels...
bland. Moreover, one does not need to tell its readers that a group of people
wears and carries different attires and bags for the readers to visualize the
scene.
- The winter sky has also been over-described. The passage
tells us that it is groaning awfully with rain clouds and supplements that
statement by telling that it is about to rain. I think that one does not need
to inform us of the obvious byproduct of a common catalyst. Additionally, the
last sentence again describes the sky as tempestuous and thundery. Perhaps it
would have been more concise if the author chose to use only one method of
describing. In my edition, I used "roaring, heavily-clouded winter
sky" with hopes of implying that it is going to rain without
over-detailing it.
2.) What 'adds' something to the scene?
- Definitely the fact that Hilary has a gun in her.
Personally, it gave a huge impression. I was so curious that I jumped into
conclusions; my edition involves telling the readers that she will kill
someone—even though I have no idea what the story is about.
- Also, I have always been fond of authors matching the mood
of the world (so to speak) with the mood of characters. The winter sky that is
close to pouring rain, to me, is a fine addition that implies a calm before the
storm (as my edition's Hilary thinks). But maybe I just find it interesting
because it complements my writing style; I like my characters contemplative.
3.) What merely adds confusion, detracting from the main
point?
- By chance, I have provided the answer to this question on
the first one.
--
So there you have her: every writer's difficult friend,
Edith. We do not have to like her to know that she makes our works as polished
as possible. Rude, discouraging, and party-pooping, she keeps telling me that
she is just a misunderstood, tough lover (honestly, I do not think she loves
us...) who wants the best for us.
She is always with me (and annoyingly so). As of now, I am
supposed to finish this blog entry, but she keeps demanding that I need her
help to fix my errors and learn from my mistakes.
But I am still the writer, okay? Edith, she is just an
extra... Hey, Edith, do not take over the stage.
Source:
The Open University
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