Backwards editing?

[Jo Zebedee]

I'm not patient. Some of you may have noticed that. As a result, the start of my books tend to be well honed and edited and lovely, and the ends, rather more sketchy. Which is partly okay -- the end is the climax, it should be pacier, but maybe not. I've done a review and reached the end of a redraft. Not a rewrite, yet. I could do my usual and go back to the beginning, but suspect that's the strongest bits.

Does it sound daft if I started at the end and reviewed the chapters in reverse order? Has anyone ever tried this and does it work. I have the continuity nailed, I think, it's just that I want to get the edit finished so rush things.

If not, any other ideas that might work. Bearing in mind a personality transplant isn't likely, and patience will continue to be an obstacle.

 

[Mouse]

Pfft, I edit all over the shop once I've got the story completed. I'll edit at random. I'll think of something, then go back in and edit it and check the rest of the work for the same thing. In TBM I edited the end on its own. Copying chapters or chunks into new docs works for me, edit, then paste back into the original doc.

I don't see why you can't work backwards.

edit: Also, I went through each chapter with a pen and my notepad and wrote down what happened in each chapter. I noted how each characters spoke, or mannerisms, and times of day stuff happened. Everything, basically. That helped too. That's more of a whole thing rather than the end, specifically, but you know. Might help.

But yeah. Maybe try the paste into a new doc thing. Save your ending in a new file?

 

[Ursa major]

.uoy pleh lliw ti kniht uoy fi ,sdrawkcab krow ,seY

 

[Laeraneth]

I'm with Mouse. There is little structure to my editing.

Actually, that's a bit of a lie, I try to edit to a structure, but that structure is a tree that branches off in all sorts of directions once I get started ;P

"Right, so I've included that bit there, but... oh cack, that means I ought to reference it earlier as well. While I'm there, I ought to fix that part, it's been bugging me for ages. Oh! Yes, I needed to add in a bit of reference to her as well and clarify that bit, because if I don't clarify that, the part I was just writing in chapter twelve won't make much sense. Oh heck, that reminds me, I need to explain exactly what's going on there properly."

By the time I'm through that, half a dozen chapters have had hundreds of words added, torn out, thrown through a blender and spat back onto the page again

In all seriousness, what I find works best for me is to note whenever I spot somewhere where I need to add or clarify something. Keep those notes as I go along, then do a massive editing binge all in one go, otherwise I WILL end up scattershotting my way around the whole damn book

 

[Sander]

Sounds like a useful thing to do, to be honest. By going backwards you may notice some things about consistency in voice and flow you wouldn't in an edit going forward through the book.

I haven't tried it yet, but I'll certainly add that to the arsenal for the next edit.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I can't do my usual haphazard approach as I have specific things I need to acheive with it, mostly around structure. I will give it a go, and report back.

Uoy knaht, asrU

 

[Mouse]

If you paste into a new doc you (or I did anyway) tend to read it and look at it a bit differently cos you're not looking at what's come before it, so you can look at it as it is. If that makes sense. Not sure if that helps with structuring, but may help with slowing stuff down.

edit: also (I should really think about what I want to say before I hit post so I don't have to edit and add more!) what I did with putting stuff in separate docs, was write several versions of the same thing. Then I could see them all together and see what worked best.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Yeah, I started a new doc for it and I have taken chapters in and out. I also have a chapter plan of what's in each and what it acheives and have ditched three tonight as not pulling their weigh.

 

[ralphkern]

I have a few runs through sorting out spelling punctuation and grammar, without worrying about structure then go forwards and then backwards and another run through for SPAG

 

[Fishbowl Helmet]

Going backwards word by word is a useful tactic to avoid getting into the flow and missing things. As long as its all edited with the same eye toward detail I don't think the order matters much, chapter by chapter or beginning to end.

 

[Rolynd]

The only thing would be continuity issues, but you said you're happy with that anyway. I dip in and edit different bits all the time...just go through a few passages highlighting the bits that don't read well. Don't really need to be reading it in order to do that.

 

[ralphkern]

Editing is a really personal thing I think. Go for what works. Personally for me continuity isn't an issue as the structures already there and in fact it can add to it. As you think 'oh I can drop something in earlier which makes what happens later more cohesive'

 

[J Riff]

I think Poe was the first writer to make a point of working through the story backwards.

 

[Boneman]

Whatever does you best - try it and see. The problem that might arise is, as you edit backwards, an idea hits you (as so often happens) and you have to edit forwards again. I'd say one in either direction will cover just about everything...

 

[AnyaKimlin]

I have very much the same issue. My first three chapters are always the best worked so this time I'm going to start at a different chapter with each run through. Second time go for the middle, third from the end etc I'm only on the second draft so I don't know how it will work.

 

[HareBrain]

I wish some books I'd read recently had been edited backwards. I know they say your beginning should be your best writing, but when that's so clearly true, and the ending reads as almost phoned-in, it doesn't make for a great reading experience (nor does it encourage other purchases of books by that author).

 

[Brian G Turner]

Does it sound daft if I started at the end and reviewed the chapters in reverse order?

For general tidying up of the text I've seen at least one writer say they edit backwards, sentence by sentence, because then they are focused only on the words, and not distracted by the story.

 

[Susan Boulton]

Break the novel into chapter chunks and ONLY edit one at a time. Don't rush to start the next one, give yourself two days break before you start the next. Make notes in a notebook or on cards about stuff you want to address/follow up in the following chapter i.e character's development, change of scene etc. Take the same time and care over the last chapters as you did the first three. I know it is tempting to rush to the end. Done that myself ofen enough when editing.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

I wish some books I'd read recently had been edited backwards. I know they say your beginning should be your best writing, but when that's so clearly true, and the ending reads as almost phoned-in, it doesn't make for a great reading experience (nor does it encourage other purchases of books by that author).

My fear in a nutshell.

Break the novel into chapter chunks and ONLY edit one at a time. Don't rush to start the next one, give yourself two days break before you start the next. Make notes in a notebook or on cards about stuff you want to address/follow up in the following chapter i.e character's development, change of scene etc. Take the same time and care over the last chapters as you did the first three. I know it is tempting to rush to the end. Done that myself ofen enough when editing.

Actually, I've ended up going with chapter chunks which seems to be working.

Sadly, for the rest, I'd need a personality bypass. I'm happy to take time and care, but when there's something to be done, I put my head down and do it. I'm planning, when I have it in reasonable enough shape, to put it aside for a week or so, though. But I'm not able to take a two day break. It just wouldn't work. (I'd love to, though. In principle.)

 

[Gumboot]

I'm with SJAB. When I edit I do it chapter by chapter (or scene by scene), and the specific place in the story is irrelevant to me. But when looking at overall structure and arc issues I find it's important to go through in order because ultimately no one is going to read your book in anything other than story order.