Editing: Choosing the Right Drinks

Eleven months after first completing this story, I have looked at it again and edited it. I was shocked, and embarrassed, at how much work there was to do on it. I managed to remove 588 words.

I think that with this, and my previous short stories, I was aware that I was not spending the right amount of time on the editing, and I’ve wondered why. I think it was because previously I did not know if my work was of any value, whether anyone other than myself would be interested in reading it. But after receiving hundreds of feedback comments from fellow writers on the Authonomy.com website, I came to realize that there certainly was value in what I was doing. I have now resolved to look again at all my previous stories and edit those to this same level.

The different versions of this story can be found here:

First draft

Second draft, with the additions marked (and without additions marked)

Third draft

A file showing the edits between drafts 2 and 3

 

10 October 2010

 

In response to a particularly nit-picking and long piece of feedback from one Authonomy writer, I have made the following further edits. About half of his comments, I rejected, after carefully considering them, but there were some useful suggestions, which I've acted on. I wonder though whether most readers would even notice such edits:

A file showing the edits between draft 3 and 3a

 

7 December 2010