The Reality of Editing

Editing…. is…. the…. worst….

I’ve officially crossed the finish line with my manuscript, and now I’m neck-deep in the final stages of editing. And when I say “final,” I mean the point where it feels like I’ve gone through this manuscript a million times already.

The chapters you’ve read on here? Those have been edited and reworked to a certain degree—maybe this is draft six or seven, I’ve lost track. But now, I’m faced with what I can only describe as the true horror of editing.

TENSE CONSISTENCY.

If you’ve ever had the privilege of being an author—or really any kind of writer—you’ll know what I’m talking about. This is the part where you have to make sure that your past tense doesn’t suddenly turn into present tense halfway through a paragraph, or your future tense isn’t mixed up with past perfect progressive… okay, I’ll stop before I scare you even more. But seriously, this part of editing feels like the universe is conspiring against me.

You know those times when you’re reading through your manuscript, and everything seems to make sense… until you come across a sentence that accidentally shifts into a new tense? Maybe it’s a random word or an entire paragraph, and suddenly, you’re questioning all of reality. Is this past tense? Present tense? WHAT DO I EVEN DO WITH THIS?

It’s like chasing down a ghost that keeps changing shape. You think you’ve got it under control, and then—BAM—a stray “is” creeps into a sentence where it doesn’t belong, and you’re left screaming, “AAAAAHHHHHH!!”

But, like every part of editing, this too shall pass. (I hope.) It’s a brutal but necessary step to ensure the story flows seamlessly, no matter how much it makes me want to push my computer in the corner, hide under my blanket and do literally anything else. Hell, I even cleaned my entire house one day before sitting down to actually do it. Anyone else a productive procrastinator like me?

Still, I’m determined. I know this is the final stretch before I my manuscript goes to publication, and that keeps me going. Sure, tense consistency is my personal editing nemesis, but I’ll conquer it. After all, this book isn’t going to fix itself (as much as I wish it would).

So, for all my fellow writers out there waging war with grammar rules, tense issues, and the thousand other small details, I salute you. It’s a tough battle, but we’re in this together.

And hey, at least once this is done, I’ll have a finished book to hold in my hands. One that won’t make me scream in frustration every time I read it. (Hopefully.)