Editing and tightness and voice

[Hex]

So one of the things that worried me a lot last year when I was editing was that if I tightened everything I could, I'd end up writing like someone else.

This year I'm editing again (the same thing as a matter of interest) and I am less convinced by my worries.

I thought it might be interesting to take a piece of largely unedited text and do a Workshop exercise where we each take it and edit it, and see what we end up with -- would we get basically the same thing from everyone? Would people's voices come through?

But I can't find a bit that seems suitable to me. I don't suppose anyone else has one? I thought maybe 200-300 words or around there?

And is anyone interested in the exercise, if we can find a piece of text?

 

[Mouse]

This sounds familiar, didn't we do something like this once upon a time? I think you will get something vastly different from everyone.

 

[Hex]

I don't think I did...

I was interested in how different they'd be if the basic text was the same and all you were doing was editing -- so not necessarily changing lots, but tightening the language and perhaps tweaking the word choice. How different could it be?

 

[AnyaKimlin]

It sounds really interesting. I'd like to take part. Why don't we pick a piece from the critique section and ask the writer if they would mind?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I'd be on for it. Or maybe, take a 300 worder, since they're sort of complete stories? Or take something from a published work, that might be interesting, but would there be copyright issues? A dead author's published work...

 

[Mouse]

This is what I was thinking of: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/535308-a-bit-of-fun.html

 

[allmywires]

Mm I like the idea. I'm not much of an editor but I might have a scene in mind of my own, possibly.

 

[Glisterspeck]

Sounds fun.

 

[Greenwoody]

I'd be up for that; be good/fun editing practice.

 

[Brev]

I'd be up for that; be good/fun editing practice.

Yep, count me in.

 

[Hex]

Excellent.

A mysterious benefactor emailed me a couple of excerpts, so hopefully I'll get something set up tomorrow. If it's fun, we could do it with another text later?

 

[alchemist]

Will I edit out a lot of this benefactor's commas?

I'll give it a go if I have time, but I think it'll be hard to "edit" without "rewriting" in our own words.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

Sounds interesting to me too.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[Hex]

I expect so, but commas run for their lives when they see you coming with yer long, black coat and yer big comma-killin' gun. So it could be anybody. ANYBODY.

(exits to mysterious music)

 

[Juliana]

Sounds interesting!

 

[hopewrites]

I think it'll be hard to "edit" without "rewriting" in our own words.

I thought that was largely the point of the test. Am I wrong? I know that even when editing my own work i reword things (sometimes to death) so I would expect that it would be the case for others as well.
It sounds interesting, dont count me in for certain, I have a lot on my plate right now and *shirty eyes* only snuck on for a moment. But if I can wrangle enough time from my major project I'd love to give it a go.