fizzyginfizz

[fizzyginfizz]

Hinnyweek: anniversary of Hinny's first kiss

[fizzyginfizz]

How can I make my editing process quicker and less stressful? I feel like I’m spending way too much time on it and not really getting anywhere, so I’d love some tips on how to keep it simple and actually productive.

I think that most writers have a love/hate relationship with editing. It feels so good to see your manuscript go from a rough draft to something really polished, but at the same time, the editing process itself is painstaking and laborious.

The editing phase can feel like wandering through a maze without a map. Every writer has been there, staring at their manuscript, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work ahead. But editing doesn’t have to be a source of stress. With the right approach, you can make your editing process both efficient and effective.

Break it down

While some writers thrive taking a do-it-all-at-once approach, this isn’t one that works for everyone. If you feel overwhelmed, you can try to divide your editing into distinct passes, each focusing on a specific aspect:

Story Structure – Focus on plot, pacing, and narrative flow.

Character Development – Examine character arcs and relationships.

Scene Level – Look at individual scene construction and transitions.

Language – Analyse word choice, clarity, and style.

Technical – Look at grammar, punctuation, and formatting.

By tackling one element at a time, you’ll catch more issues and avoid feeling overwhelmed. And you also don’t need to do them back-to-back.

When I do my first editing pass, I look at only story structure and character development. After draft 2, I look at a scene level analysis, with some attention paid to language. If I need to, I’ll repeat this for as many revisions as I need, leaving a deep-dive on language and the more technical proofreading aspects until my final draft.

Create a system

No two writers write alike. Your process will be as unique to you as the writing you produce, so never take someone else’s routine as gospel or as the only “right” way to approach it.

What you will need to do is experiment. Try different things. See what works for you, and what doesn’t. Things you can try might be:

Set clear goals

Before each editing session, define what you want to accomplish. For example:

“Review chapters 1-3 for pacing issues.”

“Check all dialogue in Act 2.”

“Analyse character motivations in transition scenes.”

Having specific targets can help give you focus and give a sense of progress, as it’s a task that you can tick off.

Track your progress

Monitoring your progress lets you actively see what you’re accomplishing. It can be a huge motivator when you can see your manuscript start to take shape.

Keep a spreadsheet of completed editing tasks.

Use a notebook to log issues that need addressing.

Create checklists for common problems you want to catch.

Track time spent on different editing tasks to identify where you might be getting stuck.

Organise visually

If you’re a visual learner, then being able to see your editing process taking shape can be a game changer. You could try to:

Highlight plot threads in different colours.

Mark scene transitions with clear breaks.

Flag areas that need deeper revision.

Use comments or sticky notes for bigger structural issues.

Create a colour code for different types of edits (dialogue, description, pacing, etc.).

Incorporate these colours into your tracking if you decide to use it.

Set a sustainable schedule

Editing can be just as time-consuming as writing (in some cases, it might be even more time consuming), so it’s important to make sure you don’t overwhelm yourself. Don’t expect your editing to be done in a week. To keep a routine that’s realistic and sustainable, you can try to:

Block out specific times for editing.

Set deadlines for completing different passes.

Build in buffer time for unexpected issues.

Schedule regular breaks to give yourself a fresh perspective.

Plan rewards for hitting milestones.

For me, the rewards are the biggest part of the process. I need that little serotonin bump when I finish something and give myself a treat. That can be anything from taking a break, to buying myself something. You can even involve a housemate or family member in the reward!

Keep reference materials handy

If you’re the kind of person who likes to remind yourself of the task at hand, then it can be uesful to keep reference materials or a style guide handy. This could include:

Your story bible or outline.

Character profiles.

Setting descriptions.

Style guide preferences.

A common error checklist.

Notes from previous drafts to make sure you don’t repeat mistakes.

You don’t need to have all references handy at all times. You can pick and choose what works for you, and what is important for that editing pass.

Know when to step back

Fresh eyes make better edits. If you’re tired or overwhelmed, there is absolutely no shame in stepping away. You’ll be much more productive if you approach editing when you’re not exhausted, because it’s very easy to miss things and get distracted if you’re not in the right headspace.

Make sure you take regular breaks between editing passes to maintain your perspective. And don’t be afraid to take a week or two away from your manuscript can help you return with renewed clarity. Read something else. Watch television. Just make sure you do something other than constantly working on your manuscript.

Get outside input

If you’ve done a few self-editing passes and feel you need to start polishing, you might want to look for outside help. This can take many forms. Some are free, while others will cost nothing more than your time. You’ll need to decide what is best for you. You can:

Share your almost-finished product with beta readers (I recommend you read this guide to get the most out of your beta readers, as they can be such a valuable resource).

Consider hiring a professional editor once you’ve done all you can.

Join a critique group for regular feedback during the drafting and editing process.

Find a writing partner for accountability and reciprocal labour.

Trust your instincts

Try different editing processes to see what works for you. Don’t try to force something that isn’t, and be willing to change tack if you need to. If something feels right, stick with it. If it doesn’t, let it go.

But no matter what editing process you choose to pursue, don’t aim for perfection in your first pass. Instead, focus on steady improvement through multiple editing rounds. With practice, you’ll develop a rhythm that makes editing feel less like a chore and more like a natural part of your writing journey.

[fizzyginfizz]

If Ginny is avoidant it's not just because of Tom it is also because of Ron. Ron was probably Ginny's closest friend before they went to Hogwarts. They were probably best friends. Then he ditches her. It's not just that he goes to Hogwarts (that is not his fault). But once they are both there he 100% cares more about following Harry around and he ignores Ginny. It is canon Ginny starts writing in the diary because she is intensely lonely. So her first best friend doesn't give a fuck about her anymore because he made new friends. Riddle, her next best friend, betrays her. Months after Ginny nearly dies in the chamber, Ron tells her to go away. Ron never shows any interest in her again until it is time for him to get annoyed that she is dating and yell at her for embarrassing him. I get why Ginny has deep emotional problems.

🦙

[fizzyginfizz]

Would you write something about Harry being forced by Ginny or the Weasleys to enter Harry Potter lookalike competition as a joke and he gets like the fourth position? I think it'd be funny and you're just the right author to do justice to this prompt. Love your writing ❣️

Endless apologies for how long this sat in my inbox. Have a lil ficlet for your trouble. <3

****

“You’ve got to go,” Ginny begged, her eyes alight with mischief. “You’ve got to.”

Harry stared at the poster they’d discovered hanging on the telephone pole on Charing Cross road incredulously. “This is a joke. It’s got to be a joke, right?”

“No, no, no, I’ve seen these!” Ginny squealed excitedly, pulling the poster down with something like glee. “There was one for Gilderoy Lockhart last weekend in Godric’s Hollow–”

“Bit tasteless, that,” Harry remarked dryly. “He’s still in St. Mungos, isn’t he?”

Ginny ignored him. “Look, it’s in the square outside Gringotts in ten minutes–”

“Gin–”

“Please,” Ginny begged. “It’ll be so funny. I know you hate attention but please, just this once, let’s use the fame card. And look,” she continued, waving the poster in her hand emphatically. “There’s a 15 Sickle prize–”

Harry snorted. “What’ll you buy with that? A pint?”

“We have to go, Harry!”

Harry looked at her, wondered if she knew that he couldn’t ever deny her something that’d make her happy, and whether such information could be trusted in her mischievous little hands. “Fine,” he agreed. “But if we get swarmed with photographers I swear I’m bringing back that toenail curse of Snape’s–”

“Yes!” Ginny squealed. “This’ll be a riot. Call Hermione, would you?”

Harry stared at her blankly. “What?”

“Hermione,” Ginny said, reaching up to re-fasten the poster to the pole with the push pin. “Tell her and Ron to meet us over there–”

“No,” Harry protested, panic rising. “I’m not gathering an audience for this–”

“Harry,” Ginny replied firmly, her grin far too broad. “Ron will kill us if he’s not there.”

“If you want them there so badly, you call them–”

“You know I can’t work out all those buttons–”

“I’ve programmed your phone to–”

“There isn’t time!” Ginny waved her hand dismissively. “Please?”

Harry was beginning to suspect she did know the power she wielded. 

“Fine.”

Read the rest on AO3.

[fizzyginfizz]

For the last goddamn time...

"Kill your darlings" means "if something is holding you back, get rid of it, even if it sounds pretty."

That's it! That's all it means! It means if you're stuck and stalled out on your story and you could fix the whole block by removing something but you're avoiding removing that thing because it's good, you remove that thing. That's the darling.

It does NOT mean

That you have to get rid of your self-indulgent writing

That you should delete something just because you like it (?wtf?)

That you need to kill off characters (??? what)

That you have to pare your story down to the absolute bare bones

That you have to delete anything whatsoever if you don't want to

The POINT is that you STOP FEELING GUILTY for throwing out good writing that isn't SERVING THE STORY.

The POINT is that you don't get so HUNG UP on the details that you lose sight of the BIG PICTURE.

Good grief....

[fizzyginfizz]

sleepy Potters

[fizzyginfizz]

You can and should write fanfiction that isn't perfect. You can and should write whatever fanfiction you want. You can and should write fanfiction that brings you joy even if it's silly or goofy or weird.

Except for me. My fanfic has to be perfect and read like a novel and ruin at least one person's sleep schedule.

[fizzyginfizz]

do u ever get a comment on a fic thats just so sweet that ur like Maybe slaving over 24k of fanfiction was worth it for user SprinkleTrashcan2012 to leave a three paragraph comment

[fizzyginfizz]

What they don't tell you about writing is that as you write, you discover scenes and entire plots that you hadn't accounted for that need to be written. So you can spend two hours writing and editing only to realise you're further away from the finish line than you thought you were when you started

[fizzyginfizz]

Only stupid little girls like Ginny

I love being a stupid little girl 🥰

[fizzyginfizz]

This is the worst timeline. (x)

[fizzyginfizz]

[fizzyginfizz]

The most frustrating experience as a writer is having a clear vision in your mind of the story you want to tell but being too afraid to put pen to paper for fear of failing to do the story justice. I’m so scared that my actual execution will fail to meet my expectations that I’m paralysed to even start.

[fizzyginfizz]

Heads in a cupboard

[fizzyginfizz]

Do y'all ever read a fic so good that it makes you want to elevate your own craft and also befriend the writer? It's almost like, "Hi! You write so well that you've inspired me to embark on a creative training arc. Also, can I yell about the character in your dms because you get it?"

[fizzyginfizz]

chat reminder to just write whatever the fuck you want. write that overused trope. write that obscure shit that no one will have heard of. just. do it. your writing is yours stop depriving it of that.

[fizzyginfizz]

Write a scene backward

If you’re struggling to finish a scene, try writing it in reverse. Start with the ending and work your way back. By writing the end first, you eliminate the early need for setup and instead focus on what is essential to arrive at that point.

This reverse approach lets you look at cause-and-effect, making each step deliberate and necessary. It also shifts your perspective. Instead of building up to consequences, you’re tracing the path of how you got there and the cause.