Content Editing

Having just finished the content edit of my fourth novel—Mark of Orion—I am particularly inspired to blog about content editing. It is a challenging process. At times, it is terrifying. At times, absolutely thrilling. Its value is almost unquantifiable.

In the context of this post, content editing refers to the editing work done by an author and an editor. It focuses on storyline, character development, and phrasing. While spelling and grammar mistakes may be caught, they are not the focus. In fact, putting too much emphasis on them may well undermine more important efforts.

Here is some basic housekeeping on the concept: Content editing cannot be done until the novel is near completion, as its purpose is to review the novel as a whole. It should, however, be done before grammar editing—as a good many changes will likely arise. At its best, it is done in several sittings ranging over a period of two weeks to two months. Shorter than that and haste—not accuracy—will guide you. Longer, and details will start to slip away from the editor.

Now, onto more exciting subtopics…

You should know: not every author employs the content edit. It can be difficult to submit to oversight of a beloved work by professionals, nonprofessionals, and friends alike. Why should you submit? Because it is an eye-opening, career-building, talent-sharpening process. There is no substitute for reading through your book line by line and watching people laugh, cry, fall asleep in boredom, and pound the table in excitement. There is nothing like having a mentor critique certain sentences and praise others. I would not be the author I am today without content editing. Of this, I am sure. But there is another reason to content edit. Your perspective is limited by your life experience. Collaborating with people with different life experience will give you a better clarity for how to reach a variety of readers.

Again, there is not consensus on how the content edit should be done. Many authors print copies of their work, send it to friends or professionals, and take the red-inked feedback offered. This is a fine method, but it is not as excellent. It will not allow you to see the joy or sorrow or humor or boredom in the reader’s eyes at every turn of the story. Ink does not communicate what dialogue can.

So, if you are determined to do the best content edit possible, pick an editor. You can do this process with several different people if you have the patience, time, and spirit—I do not. Sit down with your new editor in a place where you can hash out problems, wrestle them to the ground, and find solutions. Then you—the author—read line by line. Ask questions. Take feedback. Craft better phrases. Make your novel excel.

Put on your battle armor first, though, friends. It can be a tough process. But the victory of completion is so worth it.

 -Jessie Mae Hodsdon

Creating Conflict

      If you've ever looked slightly under the obvious layer of writing, you know that all writing is driven by conflict. Conflict is what keeps readers reading instead of skipping to a different book. Conflict is the friction between two best friends that has suddenly arisen--the fact that there is an apocalypse on the edge of happening. At the heart of all plots is some sort of conflict. 

     Sometimes when you're writing a book, you get to a point where you are bored with it--or maybe whoever is reading your book tells you that it has gotten boring. Though there are a thousand different problems that could be at the heart of this, a lot of the time it is because there isn't, or isn't enough conflict. So you're sitting at your laptop, or with a notebook in your hands, and you think: alright, you say that I need more conflict...but how? Think of conflict as a problem. There are four main kinds of conflict:

1. Man against Man

2. Man against society

3. Man against nature

4. Man against self

     You can clearly see that there is one main theme in these four things: against. That is conflict. It is a problem...something against something else. When you're looking at your novel and trying to add more conflict, this is what I want you to do: Create a problem! If something good happens to your character, immediately turn that around into something bad. When you have solved a problem, un-solve it! I can guarantee you that this will add more drama, and more intensity to your novel. Give a little bit of resolution, and then smack your character in the face with a bomb--make them wish that you had never solved it! 

     Keep digging deeper to get to your main conflict. If at first you think that the conflict is the fact that your main girl can't decide between her best friend and the new guy she just met, dig deeper until you find that the real conflict is that she's dealing with herself--she doesn't believe herself worthy of either, and is trying to get out of choosing. Find your main conflict by digging deeper into new conflicts. Then resolve the big conflict. This will not only give your story more layers, but will add a great amount of depth to it. Most likely, if you can find that central conflict, your book will begin to seem real rather than just fictional. And that's the goal of writing anyway, isn't it? You want your characters not just to be on a page, but to jump to life and feel real to your readers. Give them life by giving them problems! 

      -Elysia Regina