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3 Ways to Expedite Your Editing Process

October 24, 2018 | 3 min read

Some writers love editing. Others… not so much. Either way, editing is an essential part of the writing process. And, like writing, it’s time-intensive.


Fortunately, editing doesn’t have to take forever. If you want to refine your writing without spending endless hours on it, consider these three tips.

1. Start with an Outline

It’s hard to get anywhere without a map (or maybe a navigation app is more appropriate for 2018). Likewise, it’s hard to write without a destination in mind. To predetermine that destination, consider outlining.

Your outline can be as simple or complex as you’d like. If you’re writing a standalone blog post, your outline might be bullet points. If you’re writing a novel, your outline might be several pages. Either way, spending time creating an outline in advance can save you major time in the editing process. If you’re wondering why, let’s refer back to our map metaphor.

If we travel without a navigation app, we’re likely to get lost along the way. That means wasted time backtracking, rerouting, and making U-turns. The same goes for writing. An outline shows us where we’re going so we don’t get lost along the way. Without one, we might very well get to the editing process and realize that we went way off course. Then we’d need to spend extra editing time getting everything back on track. That’s no way to expedite our editing.

You can read more about the importance of outlining in this post, Outlining for Writers Who Hate to Outline.

2. Use Editing Software

The robots haven’t taken over yet—but that doesn’t mean they aren’t super smart. In fact, there are many programs out there that can help edit your writing.

Take ProWritingAid, for example. It works like your grammar checker but goes way beyond just grammar errors. It detects a huge range of writing issues that make your writing awkward or unclear, like passive voice, sticky sentences, repetitive phrasing, and inaccurate word choices. And it does all this at lightning speed.

Try uploading a piece of your writing to the online tool and run a summary report. It’s free to use and you’ll see the key changes that will most improve your writing. Or, to save even more time, you can use integrations for Microsoft Word/Office, Google Chrome, Google Docs, Scrivener, and more.

It’s an easy way to edit faster (and more efficiently).

Related: 10 Grammer Rules to Always Follow


3. Take a Break Between Writing and Editing

I know. This sounds contradictory. Why would I recommend taking additional time for an article about saving time?

Because it really works. You need not take a long break between writing and editing. It could be a day. It could be an hour. Whatever you choose, taking time between writing and editing will accelerate the entire process.

There are a few reasons for this. First, the downtime allows your brain to switch gears. Though they are similar, writing and editing require different skills. Writing is about seeing what isn’t there; editing is about refining established ideas. It’s difficult to transition from one to the other. Taking a break after writing resets our brains for editing. And when we do that, editing goes faster.

Furthermore, breaking before editing gives your unconscious mind time to reflect on what you’ve written. Here’s a non-writing example: Think back to the last time you lost your car keys. (I did it 20 minutes ago.) You probably found that you looked everywhere and couldn’t find them. Then maybe you stepped away for a while. When you returned, you might’ve suddenly remembered where you left your keys.

No, the keys didn’t telepathically notify you of their location (though that would be pretty cool). That was the work of your unconscious mind. It works the same way for writing and editing. Your unconscious mind finds solutions to problems, even when you don’t know it.

Alright, I’ve taken enough of your time. Go edit!
 


 

About the author:

Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. He loves the present tense and multiple POV characters. When he grows up, he wants to be a professional Magic: The Gathering player. For more of his work, visit www.kyleamassa.com.

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How does a USA Today bestselling author use Freewrite? Chelsea Conradt takes us inside her writing process.

June 19, 2025 4 min read

What's a romance author to do when a global pandemic hits?

For Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro, the answer was to start writing horror.

Carolina was writing romance when she first signed with her literary agent six years ago. But, Carolina explains, when the pandemic hit, she pivoted to horror.

"There was something about being isolated at home, living through the literal nightmare that COVID-19 was, that made me want to dive into a haunted house book," she explains. And it's a good thing she did.

That horror novel, Bochica, sold to Simon & Schuster at auction. (Trust us, it's a big deal.)

In fact, switching genres changed her life in more ways than one. "Writing Bochica made me want to move to an old manor in the woods," Carolina says, "so I now live in a house that I’m pretty sure is haunted."

Read on to learn how this Freewriter uses her four-year-old Freewrite Traveler to draft.

ANNIE COSBY: What does your writing process look like?

CAROLINA FLÓREZ-CERCHIARO: My writing process varies depending on the project, but generally, I start with some brainstorming before drafting. I’m not a heavy outliner, but I do make a rough roadmap — usually marking where the character starts, the midpoint, and a general idea of the ending.

It’s often just a list of bullet points to give me some structure. I don’t always know how I’ll get from point A to point B, and the outline changes as I go. I usually re-outline after drafting to make better sense of the story. I don’t treat the outline as strict — I let myself get lost in the story once I’m in it.

It’s really important for me to get the words on the page, even if they’re messy. You can’t edit a blank page, and revising is actually my favorite part of the process. So I focus on finishing that first draft so I can dig into the part I enjoy most.

For projects like Bochica where the historical backdrop is essential, I research before drafting, and continue to do so while writing and revising.

"I don’t treat the outline as strict — I let myself get lost in the story once I’m in it."

AC: How long did it take you to write Bochica?

CFC: The first draft took me about three months to write, and I revised it for another six to eight months with my agent before we sold it to my editor.

AC: That's really fast! How did Freewrite factor into your writing process?

CFC: My Freewrite Traveler is an essential part of my writing process, for every project I work on. It helps me get the juices flowing when I’m stuck, but it also helps me get those words on the page faster. I call it my little magical device!

I not only use it when I draft, but also when I’m revising, and I need to rewrite or add new passages, chapters, or scenes. I use it ALL the time.

"I call [Traveler] my little magical device!"

AC: Why do you prefer to draft on a Freewrite?

CFC: There’s a literal freedom that I get from using it as I’m drafting, similar to when I write by hand, but way more convenient. It’s quick, it keeps me off the internet, and I can easily upload it to my computer!

AC: Let's dig into your publishing journey. How did Bochica get published?

CFC: Bochica isn’t the first book I ever wrote, and it’s also not the book that got me my agent. I was actually writing romance when I signed with my literary agent almost six years ago, and when the pandemic hit, I decided to pivot into writing horror which had always been my favorite genre to read.

When the book was ready for editors, my agent sent it out, and I got an initial offer within days, then we got more offers, and the book ended up selling at auction to Simon and Schuster.

"Writing Bochica made me want to move to an old manor in the woods, so I now live in a house that I’m pretty sure is haunted."

AC: How has the publishing process been so far?

CFC: It’s been quite an experience; you go from hitting the lowest point to feeling on cloud nine the next second.

To sum it up in one word: WILD.

I’m lucky to have an amazing team behind me, both with my literary agent, and with my publishing team at Atria/Primero Sueño Press, to help me navigate this road, to get through the good, and the bad.

"[Publishing] has been quite an experience; you go from hitting the lowest point to feeling on cloud nine the next second."

AC: And before we sign off, what is Bochica about?

CFC: After her father is accused of murder, a young woman returns to her haunted childhood home — turned luxury hotel — and is forced to face the sinister shadows of her past, and unearth the truth of her mother’s mysterious death.

Think Mexican Gothic meets The Shining.

AC: Wow. I'm in!

If Bochica sounds like a wild ride to you, too, check it out here

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