posted
Honestly, I don't keep track. And, it depends on the piece. Somethings go for many edits; others are ready in just a few. On the other hand, I don't think I've ever been satisfied with anything for less than, say 4 or 5 edits.
How does one really quantify an edit, anyway? Is it defined by the number of passes you take over material, with time or a sense of completion in between? I guess mine is more of an on-going, perpetual process.
posted
I used to do rough draft and final copy...now with computers I edit both versions as I go along, but it's usually just two. I'm more intent on polishing my work than I was in the days of typewriters.
I retype everything on the philosophical idea that it forces me to consider and reconsider every sentence...
posted
I don't even know how to answer that question. I revise and edit until it's done, whenever that is. I'm not sure what an edit is, anyway. Usually I think of a rewrite as a major reworking of a story, a revision as a reworking of parts of the story, and an edit as a wording/grammar/spelling check.
The more important question, IMHO, is: When is it done?
That's still a tough question, but more answerable. You can, of course, keep retooling a story forever and never finish. At some point, though, you just have to decide that you're not making significant improvements each new time you go through a piece. That's when you stick a stamp on it.
posted
Yeah, what Christine said in her last paragraph - you have to decide when to "declare a victory," as I put it.
I've completed (in recent years) three novels (110,000 to 125,000 words). In each case, I've probably gone through the whole thing a solid five to ten times straight through - and yes, I'm serious. I also edit/polish the previous day's writing before starting on today's writing, so I polish as I go. And I have five readers who go through it and give me their take on it, some of which are quite detailed (one guy is a professional copy editor, so we're talking DETAILED). So that makes five more times I go through the novel (or a section of it - in the early stages, I let them do the reading in sections rather than the whole book - they usually read a first draft, then the final draft, and I polish after each of their readings). I'm also very tough on myself, so if I'm not happy with it, I just keep working on it until it's as good as I can make it. I can tell you from experience, though, that no matter how well you polish it (this is true in both writing and sculpture), when it's in final form, it will look so different to you, you'll see things you wish you'd changed. It's all a learning process, but yes, at some point, you have to declare a victory and move on to the next project.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
