Hi Reader,

What do you love about editing?

I’ve had several opportunities to ask this question lately. I’ve been busy this month recording podcast episodes with guest writers and editors. (Like this one!)

And if you’re an avid podcast listener, you might be familiar with the trope of the standard question. It’s a segment where the podcast host asks every guest the same question.

For Your Next Draft, this is the question I’ve chosen:

What do you love about editing?

The answers so far have been absolutely lovely. They’re thoughtful, passionate, and surprising—even to me, who loves editing.

And I’ve recorded with only three guests so far!

You’ll hear our guests’ answers in the coming weeks. But today, I thought I’d share three things I love about editing.

(I love so many things, it’s hard to narrow them down to just three. But I’ll try.)

1. We get to take something that exists and make it better.

The idea of creating something out of nothing is cool. It’s also really, really hard. Personally, I just don’t enjoy the process of staring at a blank page and pulling words out of thin air.

Editing, though? Now we’ve got material to work with.

Now we get to pick up the draft like a ball of Play-Doh and shape it in our hands until it forms a magnificent castle. We get to manipulate it in our fingers, pressing in here and stretching out there, until the good material, the lumpy ball of putty, transforms into something exquisite, a beautiful work of art.

For me, that’s the fun part.

2. It’s where the real story is found.

Of course, you have an idea of what your story is when you write your first draft. (Maybe lots of ideas!)

But in my experience, it’s in the editing process that we unearth the story you’re really telling. That’s when we can sift through all the ideas you’ve gotten on the page and find the truth they’re pointing to—the real story hidden between the lines.

3. It’s where the story comes to life.

I’m currently watching a show about a character who wants to write novels. In one scene, she finally works up the courage to sit at her computer and begin to write.

She makes it two sentences before she gets stuck. Does a character say something? Or do they snap? Demand? Entreat? Scream?

In the first draft, it. Does. Not. Matter.

At that stage, you don’t have enough information to know which details are important. You just need to get the shape of the story on the page so we can see what we’re working with.

The editing process? That’s where the magic happens: when we understand your story so well that it becomes obvious, almost a no-brainer, which details matter.

And when you have the right details on the page, the story comes to life for the reader.

(In case you're curious, here's the scene. I couldn't help myself—I just started yelling at the screen. 😬)

I could go on and on (and on, and on, and on, and on) about what I love about editing. But I promised to stop after just three things, so that’s it for today.

Now, I’m curious:

What do you love about editing, Reader?

Take some time to think about it. Really ponder: what brings you joy in editing? What’s exciting about it? What feels good? What’s the fun part for you?

If you’d like, hit reply and let me know your answer.

The things you love inspire me, too. And if I get enough replies, I’ll share all the things we love in a future newsletter, so we can all inspire each other.

What do you love about editing?

Happy, lovely editing,

Alice

P.S. If you’re not quite ready to edit your novel yet, but still working on a first draft, there’s still time to join Savannah Gilbo’s Notes to Novel course.

This is the perfect place to get clear on your idea, build it out into a robust yet flexible plan, and streamline your writing process to get the draft on the page.

Doors close in just a couple days, so if you’re interested, now’s your chance. Get all the details and join before the course begins »​
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