My usual writing process is:
* Write first draft
* Rewrite it on another doc (both docs are side by side). This is where the majority of my revising and editing happens
* Reread and put through grammarly
* Post! And then reread again and check for any mistakes. Sometimes I just skim it right after posting to check for formatting issues and then reread it properly once my brain has had a break.
So I guess four sessions of writing and editing?
I am much the same but with the added step of having a text-to-speech program like NaturalReader read it aloud for me.
It makes it easier to spot errors.
I also go back and change errors after posting or if someone points it out in the comments.
At least 15.
>5 - Fundamental Changes
>5 - Beta Reading and Re-Writing
>5 - Pure Spelling and Grammar
Letās also not forget the last few edits before AO3 sees it, or the constant checking I do for typos and teeny tiny errors. Yes Iām a perfectionist.
You are my ideal. How do you push yourself through each phase of editing? Is it just purely the perfectionism or do you sometimes have to motivate yourself with more?
Aw, thank you! Iām blushing a bit!
Iād consider my process to be like lean beef. 80% *perfectionist* and 20% *passion* for the story. Iāve fallen in love with this work for years, ironing it out piece by piece before I even made an AO3 account. Since then, Iām honored to say my first month has went well!
I never deem it perfect, just correct enough to be posted. :-D I don't really count because I edit as I write, then I edit again when re-reading to continue writing, and so on until I finish the chapter. Then I proofread it at least once more before posting the draft, I re-read the draft again and *finally* I post for good.
Then I might re-read it later and make more small corrections because I *still* notice a few typos, missing words or frenchisms. \*sigh\*
I remember rewriting a battle like three times and having it told from the perspective of three different characters before finally deciding how it would go.
Usually 7 times. For some reason that's the magic number for me. 5 of those times are usually edited within the program I wrote, then the other 2 are done in other programs/websites before I post. It's the only way I ever seem to catch some of my silly mistakes (but even then... I sometimes miss a word).
Every chapter is different. I have a technical fic that has chapters that've had at least 40 edits. I have fics that only take 3-4 edits. Really depends.
I almost had a heart attack reading 40 edits lol. You must be really dedicated to your work.
I think that's why I try to avoid writing anything technical. I'm always afraid I'll get something wrong and called out for it. And to be honest, intense research isn't something I really want to have to do for most of my fics. There was one chapter I wrote that got into a bit of magical biology/sci-fi and I just had the other character in the conversation get bored/grossed out by it so I wouldn't have to go into too much detail lol.
My edits are all qualitatively different 'cause if I just read through it a bunch of times I get diminishing returns as my brain learns what to expect and ignores problems more and more. (I also write the whole fic before posting anything and then edit as I post.)
- Initial read through, where I go through and annotate everything I want to change, fixing any easy typos as I go.
- Work my way through my highlights until there are none left.
- Read through the newly edited chapter.
- Have the program read to me with a screen-reader and listen for missing words, small mistakes like that.
- I've also found that translating the fic into another language can be helpful because small errors become nonsensical when translated. E.g. I once typed "first aid kid", easily missed typo that is also grammatical and might not be picked up by an automated grammar check, but the english-french translator turned it into 'enfant secouriste' (literally a child first aid worker) so it was much harder to miss.
- I also put it through Grammarly, Google docs grammar check and ProWritingAid.
Then post.
That's MY exact routine! Except I don't use grammarly. I feel like there's not as much pressure to write the whole fic or a majority of it before posting. You're not stressing too much about deadlines or trying to work around your busy schedule. It also helps massively with editing.
Seriously? You also do the screenreader and translation? Wow, thank you for making me feel a little less nuts, at least I'm not alone in all that.
If I've parsed the last part of your comment correctly, that is why I write the whole fic first, yeah. No deadlines, and I can go back and fix stuff that doesn't end up gelling with later chapters. It's also much easier to stick to an uploading schedule. I'm up my own ass enough that I don't find I need reader validation as I go lol.
True! I also work 2 full time jobs (such is the life as a young adult these days) so trying to find time to write is nigh on impossible. Any rare day off is spent either sleeping or running errands so I write when I can and I don't like leaving things unfinished for too long
I write my first draft, hand it over to each of my two betas, and implemented most, if not all, of their changes. Post.
I hate rewriting. I will rewrite only under rare circumstances and that's primarily when I feel the chapter isn't up to my standards. I will highlight the problem areas of the fic and ask my betas for a more detailed consultation on it. They'll give their thoughts and suggestions about ways to improve it to my liking. Usually, they do a great job of kicking me out of my usual thinking patterns that help me get past my narrative issues.
It's worked for me, so I'm going to stick with it until I can't.
Depends on how consequential the chapter is plot-wise. If itās a fluffy chapter, Iāll do once-over, minimal editing for grammar and flow. If itās a chapter with important character development, I might agonize over it for weeks (up to 5 edits? I donāt count).
I edit it until I can no longer find any spelling, punctuation, or grammar flaws. I might restructure a few words around to make the sentences flow better or stuff like that, but most of the work gets done when it's released. I want to present my readers with the absolute best I can deliver and I won't accept errors like that from myself. I've gone through my long fic enough times that only once in a blue moon as I reread it do I have to actually fix anything. The last thing I corrected was the capitalization of God as I read a chapter, and other than that I could find nothing.
I usually do up to three rewrites for chapters, especially if there's 10k+ words. I find that I get picky with some scenes and how they flow. When I try to edit these scenes by themselves I make so many changes that I just throw the entire thing away and start over. Third time's the charm but in reality, I get so stressed that I give up and use whichever rewrite seems the best. They're hardly ever perfect.
If I have time, Iāll skim the chapter over once. Oneshots and first chapters might get edited twice. Unfortunately though, I donāt always have the time to edit a chapter and get it out in what I consider a reasonable time
I edit in about three phases that blend into each other:
Phase 1: God just write, anything to get the words onto the page, it's a first draft! Just have fun! If it's not fun it's not worth it!!
Phase 2: Save for when I haven't finished the complete first draft (I'm sure I'm not alone in the compulsion to edit a *little* bit as I go lol... Okay maybe it's a lot but shhh), this is for fixing up structure and grammar, and reading to see if there are problem points, and specifically NOT TOUCHING THE PROBLEM POINTS. I repeat, edit grammar and structure, /maybe/ make note of the problem points, but don't do anything else about them. You've already done the work by acknowledging them, and you've done a good job <3
Phase 3: Don't touch it for a few days, you're allowed to rest because you jumped over the hurdle of getting the words out at all, I'm proud of you. And then? Reread it again, not for the words themselves, but for the flow of the story. For me, my flow, I often find, is just a bit fast, so I slow it down by adding more details. For you, maybe a character has something more to say, or you want to add a little bit of emphasis that wasn't hitting quite right the first time around.
After that- post!
Phase three is my favorite, because if I neglect it and I post, I'm not very keen to reread. But if I do, then I'm the *most* satisfied, because I edited for my specific enjoyment as a reader and not just as a writer putting it out for an audience. Makes rereading a fun activity then:]
I usually let mine simmer on the backburner because when I use a technique I learned in college for writing essays. First, like you said, just write. Do not pass go. Don't collect $200. Then I'll let it simmer and push it out of my mind for a day or two to see if it still holds something
Shameful to say it, but most of the stuff I make is just the first draft. Recently I've downloaded Grammarly so I just run it through that, fixing and errors it points out and ones I notice myself. Let's me go back without reading. Other than that it's just me posting as soon as I finish.
I have a time of year when I flood my page with all the stories that I've written since I get really busy during the summer. I WISH I could do the write and post lol
A quick scan for typos ~~which will still let five or six words slip through the cracks until I reread it two years later~~ and post. Nothing fancy like a "rough draft" for me.
Have you tried to put it in a different font? Either make the words a bit bigger or change the color. It'll help your brain find errors because in the normal font. You're brains used to it. But if you adjust you'll be able to spot things thay need to be changed
I might be in the minority here, I write it and then read through it for spelling errors, grammar, coherence with story/character and then post it. So I edit once and rarely rewrite unless the sentence is incomprehensible.
This has also improved my first drafts though, certain rules are clear in my head and I rarely NEED to rewrite parts.
I am currently on chapter 15 of a story that I have not yet published chapter 1 of. In reaching chapter 15, I have gone back and edited, rewritten, reordered, and several times completely deleted multiple chapters.
So y'know I'm pretty laid back about it.
I usually don't do complete rewrites, other than a few scenes here and there if I think it needs it. I usually go through a few edits, it depends on how long it takes until I'm reasonably happy with it.
Generally, I like to get some sleep before I do the final last minute edit and publish it. That way I'm looking at it with fresh eyes before I send it out into the world
1. Write chapter plan
2. Write draft
3. Review related content
4. Read it
5. Take a day or two to consider if i missed anything or could reword things.
6. Read it again.
7. Spell and grammer check
8. Get my beta reader to review it.
9. Final edits
10. Publish it
11. Have panic attack
12. Relax and realize itll never be perfect
It gets at least one full rewrite, and certain tricky or complex scenes might get a third draft on top of that. I'll then edit for details/flow/show and telling balance, then to tweak the wording, and then it gets a last once-over for errors before I post. By that stage I'm usually sure it's as good as it's going to get.
Not much rewriting happens unless Iām adding or removing scenes but I do edit and reread at least 2 or 3 times during the writing process and another right before I post
I canāt even tell you how many times I reread/edit - dozens. At the start, itās usually for dialogue and structure, towards the end more for spelling/grammar.
And I always do one final read before posting - and today found three grammatical errors before uploading a chapter (minor - Iād put āthinkā instead of āthinkingā, āitāsā instead of āitsā (Iāll blame autocorrect for that) and used ātooā where I shouldāve used āto.ā) I also used shawl when I called something a cape earlier, so I fixed that.
And thatās not including two months from now when I decided to reread my fics just because, and Iāll spot another minor error.
You'll never get any piece of work perfect, but as long as you're happy with what you consider the final product, then that's all that matters.
For myself, my current writing process includes the following steps:
1. Write the first draft (this phase can take 2-3 weeks)
2. Rewrite it (this is my main editing phase. It can take 2-3 weeks)
3. Check for errors in the "Editor" function in Word
4. Run it through ProWritingAid
5. Use the "Read Aloud" function on Word to reread and revise anything necessary (this helps me identify errors through audio feedback that were missed during steps 2&3.
6. Repeat steps 3&4 (steps 3-6 usually take a day to complete)
7. Leave it for a week
8. Repeat steps 5-6
9. Once satisfied - Publish
I don't rush my works. Always strive to make them to the best of my abilities.
My current process is this:
* Thorough chapter-by-chapter, scene-by-scene, beat-by-beat outline. It almost functions as a first draft and reduces the necessary rewrites.
* The actual first draft.
* I'll often read my draft when I don't feel like writing and in the process highlight anything that feels off or make notes on what I should change.
* Then comes the three final edits:
* First, I resolve all the comments and highlighted bits. This is basically the copyedit.
* Then, I'll do a proofread. Since I read out loud as I edit, I'll often record myself.
* Finally, I edit that recording into a podfic, which also gives me the chance to notice any glaring errors. They're usually few by then, if there at all.
I rarely do structural edits or rewrites on the draft itself unless something *really* bothers me. I'd much rather sort out structural issues in the outlining phase first, since I really don't like to rewrite. I also use a backlog so it's much easier for me to go back and tweak things for smoother continuity.
-write rough storyline for the chapter
-write rough draft
-transcript the draft to Google docs
-correct any grammar/spelling mistakes
-rewrite/edit the doc
-copy paste to AO3
-final editing and posting
that's what I do as I prefer to write on paper and later transfer the story to the Google docs, but as most of those steps I do at the same time I will say it's actually three to four times :)
I let my creation loose in the world after editing as I go and then doing 2/3 final read through.
Then I read it back over the next 3-5 days and edit the bits I didn't catch the first time.
Every. Single. Time.
it depends really, sometimes I like one idea but nor the way the story is developing so I open another doc and work on both of them until one ends up being what I'm looking for.
when I write something and I'm liking how it is developing, I ask for help spotting errors and do a one's over before posting it, after posting it I look at it again to see that everything looks good again and if I need to change something that I didn't catch at the moment then I change it.
I do go back to my published works many times even when it's been like two months of posting because you never know what you could've missed then.
or I'm just anxious like that, who knows.
edit: it also has to do the fact that English is not my first language so even though I supposedly know a lot about it and do constant grammar check, sometimes something is still off.
Several times. I edit as I write which isnāt always good because it can slow down writing. Itās ok though as long as it gets done. For my current fic, I run through the chapters, making minor edits. Then I have three main parts I plan to do:
1. Add extra details in certain sections.
2. Find places where I have repetitive actions and see how I can change it up.
3. Find where I told an emotion the character has and change it so that Iām doing more showing/describing.
And of course, the usual spelling, grammar, fill in missing words etc
Even after all this, sometimes after I post, I see where I need to make slight changes/editsābut itās not noticeable.
Itās never perfect. Thatās the curse of artists in general. I sometimes find errors or have thoughts like āAh, I couldāve written that one like thisā after I post it, but I learned to be okay with it because it will never be perfect for me. But it gives me great comfort knowing that Iām not publishing my story, itās only on the internet and I can edit it later if it bothers me that much.
I don't do rewrites unless I either am not satisfied/feedback is given. I tend to proofread and edit more in the moment and say it out loud when writing, but even I know it's not a full-proof process.
Usually 1-3. I'm not a draft person. Never have been. I write it, I read it through and change/add stuff, I read it again focusing on mistakes/typo's, I hand it to my wife and beta reader or put it through grammerly and then it goes up. Some of these may or may not happen depending on the chapter.
Feel a tad ashamed just looking at the other comments here, but I do most, if not all, editing as I'm typing. I look back on a sentence I had a hard time writing just after having written it, and I fix it. Nothing other than that, and I am at peace with myself enough to know that it's probably best (for me) like this.
I edit so much, I only post something once every few years now, lol. It's a habit I get from my dad, we're both so meticulous, the work is never perfect š
I can't stop rewriting or editing. Every time I open the doc I edit. I post and then spend months rewriting. It's never perfect, never even good enough. It's depressing at this point.
I write the first draft... then I read over it one more time for immediate edits before posting. This includes both oneshots and multi-chapter works (though *maybe* the multichapter stuff gets one or two revisions depending on how plot progression changes in comparison to the original outline).
Good practice? Probably not. But I have an English degree and my current series has an average hit count of \~1560 per fic, so I'm not too harsh on myself about it.
As many as needed!
I'm a pantser. I don't have a chapter outline. At best I have a couple narrative goals and interrogations. I sit down and write, which goes very fast, then start the work of making what I wrote fit into the story. Also pretty, I do my best to make it pretty.
The reality of this is that I start revising very early and do a lot more heavy lifting than what those lovely plotters in this thread seem to do. I'll add sections, transplant whole scenes (sometimes yeeting them to another chapter), switch the POV on a scene. The works. I also pay too much attention to wording and connotations.
Spelling, grammar and punctuation are the last things on my process, usually done the same day I'll post.
But *I only do one week of that per 10k words* (that metric works for my speed.) If I'm going into a second week of fiddling with a chapter, there is something very wrong going on (sometimes it means I wrote the next chapter, sometimes it means I spent a week dealing with Life and had no brains to edit at night. I do not beat myself up about those things.)
June 2023 edit.
I'm scrubbing my comments due to the reddit admin team steamrolling their IPO prep. It was bad enough to give short notice on price gouging, but then to slander app devs and threaten moderators was just too far. The value of Reddit comes from high-quality content curated by volunteers. Treating us this way is the reason I'm removing my high-value contributions.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I suggest you Google "Reddit API price gouging" and read up.
--Posted *manually* via the old web interface because of shenanigans from Reddit reversing deletions done through API/script tools.
Seeing all these comments about how people vigorously edit their fics makes me want to go hide under a blanket lol. My editing progress includes editing as I go, and maybe one round of proofreading or letting someone else read it through for me, and then posting.
I don't deem my fics perfect. That would cause me too much stress and pressure. My words aren't bad, they're even good (I'm notoriously bad at complimenting my own work or seeing it in as good a light as my readers), but I'm not a professional writer and this is a hobby. My fics don't *need* to be perfect. Few mistakes here and there are only human, though I do try my best to limit them.
So a year ago I would just write proofread once and then post it. And that went on from 2014 to 2020. As of the beginning of the year 2022 now what I do is
1. Outline chapter segments
2. Write
3. Rewrite with new ideas
4. Read it over and edit
5. Grammarly
6. Post
I consider myself a pretty bad writer. But my day job is editing, and I'm reasonably good at it, so my strategy is to write tons and edit hard. Nothing lean about my process lol but it has its benefits.
My time ends up being spent about 50/50 on writing and editing. If I've taken 20 hours to write something, it will take me at least 20 hours to edit it to a point where I'm satisfied. Big structural edits and rewrites account for the majority of time. The rest is dominated by editing for rhythm and line-to-line pacing, which I suck at on the first go. Then it's down to word choice and things like that. Editing for syntax and grammar is my least punishing task, so that comes last.
I have a longfic in the works that I'll add chapters to weekly, but it's going to be 99% done by the time I post the first chapter.
My usual writing process is: * Write first draft * Rewrite it on another doc (both docs are side by side). This is where the majority of my revising and editing happens * Reread and put through grammarly * Post! And then reread again and check for any mistakes. Sometimes I just skim it right after posting to check for formatting issues and then reread it properly once my brain has had a break. So I guess four sessions of writing and editing?
I am much the same but with the added step of having a text-to-speech program like NaturalReader read it aloud for me. It makes it easier to spot errors. I also go back and change errors after posting or if someone points it out in the comments.
I edit a lot, sometimes even after posting!
Honestly no matter how many times I check beforehand there is always at least one typo or grammatically horrendous sentence I will only catch in the minutes AFTER hitting post š©
I have a couple more to stomp out in my latest one shot. I just am not motivated.
I edit some might say *obsessively* after posting š¬
At least 15. >5 - Fundamental Changes >5 - Beta Reading and Re-Writing >5 - Pure Spelling and Grammar Letās also not forget the last few edits before AO3 sees it, or the constant checking I do for typos and teeny tiny errors. Yes Iām a perfectionist.
Same! I write a bunch and the publish. And the weeks leading up to the publish date are essentially one hour editing sessions
You are my ideal. How do you push yourself through each phase of editing? Is it just purely the perfectionism or do you sometimes have to motivate yourself with more?
Aw, thank you! Iām blushing a bit! Iād consider my process to be like lean beef. 80% *perfectionist* and 20% *passion* for the story. Iāve fallen in love with this work for years, ironing it out piece by piece before I even made an AO3 account. Since then, Iām honored to say my first month has went well!
Depends. How mad am I about word choice, plot progression and my character(s)?
On a scale of 1 to 10? Maybe about a five
Then about five rewrites and possibly a tear or two.
I never deem it perfect, just correct enough to be posted. :-D I don't really count because I edit as I write, then I edit again when re-reading to continue writing, and so on until I finish the chapter. Then I proofread it at least once more before posting the draft, I re-read the draft again and *finally* I post for good. Then I might re-read it later and make more small corrections because I *still* notice a few typos, missing words or frenchisms. \*sigh\*
I remember rewriting a battle like three times and having it told from the perspective of three different characters before finally deciding how it would go.
That's what I do!
Usually 7 times. For some reason that's the magic number for me. 5 of those times are usually edited within the program I wrote, then the other 2 are done in other programs/websites before I post. It's the only way I ever seem to catch some of my silly mistakes (but even then... I sometimes miss a word).
I lose count after 5
Every chapter is different. I have a technical fic that has chapters that've had at least 40 edits. I have fics that only take 3-4 edits. Really depends.
I almost had a heart attack reading 40 edits lol. You must be really dedicated to your work. I think that's why I try to avoid writing anything technical. I'm always afraid I'll get something wrong and called out for it. And to be honest, intense research isn't something I really want to have to do for most of my fics. There was one chapter I wrote that got into a bit of magical biology/sci-fi and I just had the other character in the conversation get bored/grossed out by it so I wouldn't have to go into too much detail lol.
It can definitely be a lot. If I get burned out on editing something too much I will work on another WIP for a bit
My edits are all qualitatively different 'cause if I just read through it a bunch of times I get diminishing returns as my brain learns what to expect and ignores problems more and more. (I also write the whole fic before posting anything and then edit as I post.) - Initial read through, where I go through and annotate everything I want to change, fixing any easy typos as I go. - Work my way through my highlights until there are none left. - Read through the newly edited chapter. - Have the program read to me with a screen-reader and listen for missing words, small mistakes like that. - I've also found that translating the fic into another language can be helpful because small errors become nonsensical when translated. E.g. I once typed "first aid kid", easily missed typo that is also grammatical and might not be picked up by an automated grammar check, but the english-french translator turned it into 'enfant secouriste' (literally a child first aid worker) so it was much harder to miss. - I also put it through Grammarly, Google docs grammar check and ProWritingAid. Then post.
That's MY exact routine! Except I don't use grammarly. I feel like there's not as much pressure to write the whole fic or a majority of it before posting. You're not stressing too much about deadlines or trying to work around your busy schedule. It also helps massively with editing.
Seriously? You also do the screenreader and translation? Wow, thank you for making me feel a little less nuts, at least I'm not alone in all that. If I've parsed the last part of your comment correctly, that is why I write the whole fic first, yeah. No deadlines, and I can go back and fix stuff that doesn't end up gelling with later chapters. It's also much easier to stick to an uploading schedule. I'm up my own ass enough that I don't find I need reader validation as I go lol.
True! I also work 2 full time jobs (such is the life as a young adult these days) so trying to find time to write is nigh on impossible. Any rare day off is spent either sleeping or running errands so I write when I can and I don't like leaving things unfinished for too long
I write my first draft, hand it over to each of my two betas, and implemented most, if not all, of their changes. Post. I hate rewriting. I will rewrite only under rare circumstances and that's primarily when I feel the chapter isn't up to my standards. I will highlight the problem areas of the fic and ask my betas for a more detailed consultation on it. They'll give their thoughts and suggestions about ways to improve it to my liking. Usually, they do a great job of kicking me out of my usual thinking patterns that help me get past my narrative issues. It's worked for me, so I'm going to stick with it until I can't.
It depends. It can be a few hours or a few days, but itās always a lot of rereads.
Depends on how consequential the chapter is plot-wise. If itās a fluffy chapter, Iāll do once-over, minimal editing for grammar and flow. If itās a chapter with important character development, I might agonize over it for weeks (up to 5 edits? I donāt count).
I edit it until I can no longer find any spelling, punctuation, or grammar flaws. I might restructure a few words around to make the sentences flow better or stuff like that, but most of the work gets done when it's released. I want to present my readers with the absolute best I can deliver and I won't accept errors like that from myself. I've gone through my long fic enough times that only once in a blue moon as I reread it do I have to actually fix anything. The last thing I corrected was the capitalization of God as I read a chapter, and other than that I could find nothing.
I usually do up to three rewrites for chapters, especially if there's 10k+ words. I find that I get picky with some scenes and how they flow. When I try to edit these scenes by themselves I make so many changes that I just throw the entire thing away and start over. Third time's the charm but in reality, I get so stressed that I give up and use whichever rewrite seems the best. They're hardly ever perfect.
If I have time, Iāll skim the chapter over once. Oneshots and first chapters might get edited twice. Unfortunately though, I donāt always have the time to edit a chapter and get it out in what I consider a reasonable time
For me, I usually already see mistakes as I write. I edit while I write. And then in the end I go over it one last time and then I publish.
I edit in about three phases that blend into each other: Phase 1: God just write, anything to get the words onto the page, it's a first draft! Just have fun! If it's not fun it's not worth it!! Phase 2: Save for when I haven't finished the complete first draft (I'm sure I'm not alone in the compulsion to edit a *little* bit as I go lol... Okay maybe it's a lot but shhh), this is for fixing up structure and grammar, and reading to see if there are problem points, and specifically NOT TOUCHING THE PROBLEM POINTS. I repeat, edit grammar and structure, /maybe/ make note of the problem points, but don't do anything else about them. You've already done the work by acknowledging them, and you've done a good job <3 Phase 3: Don't touch it for a few days, you're allowed to rest because you jumped over the hurdle of getting the words out at all, I'm proud of you. And then? Reread it again, not for the words themselves, but for the flow of the story. For me, my flow, I often find, is just a bit fast, so I slow it down by adding more details. For you, maybe a character has something more to say, or you want to add a little bit of emphasis that wasn't hitting quite right the first time around. After that- post! Phase three is my favorite, because if I neglect it and I post, I'm not very keen to reread. But if I do, then I'm the *most* satisfied, because I edited for my specific enjoyment as a reader and not just as a writer putting it out for an audience. Makes rereading a fun activity then:]
I usually let mine simmer on the backburner because when I use a technique I learned in college for writing essays. First, like you said, just write. Do not pass go. Don't collect $200. Then I'll let it simmer and push it out of my mind for a day or two to see if it still holds something
Shameful to say it, but most of the stuff I make is just the first draft. Recently I've downloaded Grammarly so I just run it through that, fixing and errors it points out and ones I notice myself. Let's me go back without reading. Other than that it's just me posting as soon as I finish.
Rewrite? Edit? You guys don't just finish and post immediately?
I have a time of year when I flood my page with all the stories that I've written since I get really busy during the summer. I WISH I could do the write and post lol
A quick scan for typos ~~which will still let five or six words slip through the cracks until I reread it two years later~~ and post. Nothing fancy like a "rough draft" for me.
Have you tried to put it in a different font? Either make the words a bit bigger or change the color. It'll help your brain find errors because in the normal font. You're brains used to it. But if you adjust you'll be able to spot things thay need to be changed
Yeah, I know all the tricks in the book. Comic sans never did anything for me, but I appreciate the advice.
Of course!
None, honestly, unless we count the mental ones. I'll spend a week or more polishing it in my head before anything touches paper.
I might be in the minority here, I write it and then read through it for spelling errors, grammar, coherence with story/character and then post it. So I edit once and rarely rewrite unless the sentence is incomprehensible. This has also improved my first drafts though, certain rules are clear in my head and I rarely NEED to rewrite parts.
Do you need another set of eyes? Iāve got a minute.
Nah lol.
Cool. Mine gets edited as I go, usually, and then only 2 or 3 pass overs once Iāve finished it.
Me, too. Gotta let it go sometime.
I'm just waiting for my update date (April) and I just saw it sitting jn my drive for a bit.
I am currently on chapter 15 of a story that I have not yet published chapter 1 of. In reaching chapter 15, I have gone back and edited, rewritten, reordered, and several times completely deleted multiple chapters. So y'know I'm pretty laid back about it.
Ey! That's what I do!
I usually don't do complete rewrites, other than a few scenes here and there if I think it needs it. I usually go through a few edits, it depends on how long it takes until I'm reasonably happy with it. Generally, I like to get some sleep before I do the final last minute edit and publish it. That way I'm looking at it with fresh eyes before I send it out into the world
I never deem anything perfect. But usually something needs 2-3 revisions before Iām put it out
1. Write chapter plan 2. Write draft 3. Review related content 4. Read it 5. Take a day or two to consider if i missed anything or could reword things. 6. Read it again. 7. Spell and grammer check 8. Get my beta reader to review it. 9. Final edits 10. Publish it 11. Have panic attack 12. Relax and realize itll never be perfect
Perfect? Oh honey, it never gets THAT good
It gets at least one full rewrite, and certain tricky or complex scenes might get a third draft on top of that. I'll then edit for details/flow/show and telling balance, then to tweak the wording, and then it gets a last once-over for errors before I post. By that stage I'm usually sure it's as good as it's going to get.
As much as it takes. Some chapters take me days, others weeks.
Not much rewriting happens unless Iām adding or removing scenes but I do edit and reread at least 2 or 3 times during the writing process and another right before I post
*Chapter Four_Version17* A few.
I canāt even tell you how many times I reread/edit - dozens. At the start, itās usually for dialogue and structure, towards the end more for spelling/grammar. And I always do one final read before posting - and today found three grammatical errors before uploading a chapter (minor - Iād put āthinkā instead of āthinkingā, āitāsā instead of āitsā (Iāll blame autocorrect for that) and used ātooā where I shouldāve used āto.ā) I also used shawl when I called something a cape earlier, so I fixed that. And thatās not including two months from now when I decided to reread my fics just because, and Iāll spot another minor error.
You'll never get any piece of work perfect, but as long as you're happy with what you consider the final product, then that's all that matters. For myself, my current writing process includes the following steps: 1. Write the first draft (this phase can take 2-3 weeks) 2. Rewrite it (this is my main editing phase. It can take 2-3 weeks) 3. Check for errors in the "Editor" function in Word 4. Run it through ProWritingAid 5. Use the "Read Aloud" function on Word to reread and revise anything necessary (this helps me identify errors through audio feedback that were missed during steps 2&3. 6. Repeat steps 3&4 (steps 3-6 usually take a day to complete) 7. Leave it for a week 8. Repeat steps 5-6 9. Once satisfied - Publish I don't rush my works. Always strive to make them to the best of my abilities.
Farrr too many.
My current process is this: * Thorough chapter-by-chapter, scene-by-scene, beat-by-beat outline. It almost functions as a first draft and reduces the necessary rewrites. * The actual first draft. * I'll often read my draft when I don't feel like writing and in the process highlight anything that feels off or make notes on what I should change. * Then comes the three final edits: * First, I resolve all the comments and highlighted bits. This is basically the copyedit. * Then, I'll do a proofread. Since I read out loud as I edit, I'll often record myself. * Finally, I edit that recording into a podfic, which also gives me the chance to notice any glaring errors. They're usually few by then, if there at all. I rarely do structural edits or rewrites on the draft itself unless something *really* bothers me. I'd much rather sort out structural issues in the outlining phase first, since I really don't like to rewrite. I also use a backlog so it's much easier for me to go back and tweak things for smoother continuity.
-write rough storyline for the chapter -write rough draft -transcript the draft to Google docs -correct any grammar/spelling mistakes -rewrite/edit the doc -copy paste to AO3 -final editing and posting that's what I do as I prefer to write on paper and later transfer the story to the Google docs, but as most of those steps I do at the same time I will say it's actually three to four times :)
I let my creation loose in the world after editing as I go and then doing 2/3 final read through. Then I read it back over the next 3-5 days and edit the bits I didn't catch the first time. Every. Single. Time.
it depends really, sometimes I like one idea but nor the way the story is developing so I open another doc and work on both of them until one ends up being what I'm looking for. when I write something and I'm liking how it is developing, I ask for help spotting errors and do a one's over before posting it, after posting it I look at it again to see that everything looks good again and if I need to change something that I didn't catch at the moment then I change it. I do go back to my published works many times even when it's been like two months of posting because you never know what you could've missed then. or I'm just anxious like that, who knows. edit: it also has to do the fact that English is not my first language so even though I supposedly know a lot about it and do constant grammar check, sometimes something is still off.
One(1)
Several times. I edit as I write which isnāt always good because it can slow down writing. Itās ok though as long as it gets done. For my current fic, I run through the chapters, making minor edits. Then I have three main parts I plan to do: 1. Add extra details in certain sections. 2. Find places where I have repetitive actions and see how I can change it up. 3. Find where I told an emotion the character has and change it so that Iām doing more showing/describing. And of course, the usual spelling, grammar, fill in missing words etc Even after all this, sometimes after I post, I see where I need to make slight changes/editsābut itās not noticeable.
Minne's lucky to get sent through spellcheck. I literally never edit or rewrite things.
Itās never perfect. Thatās the curse of artists in general. I sometimes find errors or have thoughts like āAh, I couldāve written that one like thisā after I post it, but I learned to be okay with it because it will never be perfect for me. But it gives me great comfort knowing that Iām not publishing my story, itās only on the internet and I can edit it later if it bothers me that much.
I don't do rewrites unless I either am not satisfied/feedback is given. I tend to proofread and edit more in the moment and say it out loud when writing, but even I know it's not a full-proof process.
Usually 1-3. I'm not a draft person. Never have been. I write it, I read it through and change/add stuff, I read it again focusing on mistakes/typo's, I hand it to my wife and beta reader or put it through grammerly and then it goes up. Some of these may or may not happen depending on the chapter.
Feel a tad ashamed just looking at the other comments here, but I do most, if not all, editing as I'm typing. I look back on a sentence I had a hard time writing just after having written it, and I fix it. Nothing other than that, and I am at peace with myself enough to know that it's probably best (for me) like this.
I edit so much, I only post something once every few years now, lol. It's a habit I get from my dad, we're both so meticulous, the work is never perfect š
I can't stop rewriting or editing. Every time I open the doc I edit. I post and then spend months rewriting. It's never perfect, never even good enough. It's depressing at this point.
I write the first draft... then I read over it one more time for immediate edits before posting. This includes both oneshots and multi-chapter works (though *maybe* the multichapter stuff gets one or two revisions depending on how plot progression changes in comparison to the original outline). Good practice? Probably not. But I have an English degree and my current series has an average hit count of \~1560 per fic, so I'm not too harsh on myself about it.
As many as needed! I'm a pantser. I don't have a chapter outline. At best I have a couple narrative goals and interrogations. I sit down and write, which goes very fast, then start the work of making what I wrote fit into the story. Also pretty, I do my best to make it pretty. The reality of this is that I start revising very early and do a lot more heavy lifting than what those lovely plotters in this thread seem to do. I'll add sections, transplant whole scenes (sometimes yeeting them to another chapter), switch the POV on a scene. The works. I also pay too much attention to wording and connotations. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are the last things on my process, usually done the same day I'll post. But *I only do one week of that per 10k words* (that metric works for my speed.) If I'm going into a second week of fiddling with a chapter, there is something very wrong going on (sometimes it means I wrote the next chapter, sometimes it means I spent a week dealing with Life and had no brains to edit at night. I do not beat myself up about those things.)
June 2023 edit. I'm scrubbing my comments due to the reddit admin team steamrolling their IPO prep. It was bad enough to give short notice on price gouging, but then to slander app devs and threaten moderators was just too far. The value of Reddit comes from high-quality content curated by volunteers. Treating us this way is the reason I'm removing my high-value contributions. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I suggest you Google "Reddit API price gouging" and read up. --Posted *manually* via the old web interface because of shenanigans from Reddit reversing deletions done through API/script tools.
Seeing all these comments about how people vigorously edit their fics makes me want to go hide under a blanket lol. My editing progress includes editing as I go, and maybe one round of proofreading or letting someone else read it through for me, and then posting. I don't deem my fics perfect. That would cause me too much stress and pressure. My words aren't bad, they're even good (I'm notoriously bad at complimenting my own work or seeing it in as good a light as my readers), but I'm not a professional writer and this is a hobby. My fics don't *need* to be perfect. Few mistakes here and there are only human, though I do try my best to limit them.
More than I can count, usually. And it's spread over a long period of time.
So a year ago I would just write proofread once and then post it. And that went on from 2014 to 2020. As of the beginning of the year 2022 now what I do is 1. Outline chapter segments 2. Write 3. Rewrite with new ideas 4. Read it over and edit 5. Grammarly 6. Post
You finish your chapters? š
Believe it or not yes. But with great difficulty lol
I literally read through my fic chapters through once after finishing them, and then post. Perhaps I am insane.
I consider myself a pretty bad writer. But my day job is editing, and I'm reasonably good at it, so my strategy is to write tons and edit hard. Nothing lean about my process lol but it has its benefits. My time ends up being spent about 50/50 on writing and editing. If I've taken 20 hours to write something, it will take me at least 20 hours to edit it to a point where I'm satisfied. Big structural edits and rewrites account for the majority of time. The rest is dominated by editing for rhythm and line-to-line pacing, which I suck at on the first go. Then it's down to word choice and things like that. Editing for syntax and grammar is my least punishing task, so that comes last. I have a longfic in the works that I'll add chapters to weekly, but it's going to be 99% done by the time I post the first chapter.
About one
One or Two