How to Be a Healthy Editor

You’ve been struck with a brilliant idea and you quickly write a messy but spirited first draft of a song.

Hooray! 

And now comes the editing. 

via GIPHY

For many writers, this is where the real blood, sweat and tears comes in. You painstakingly pore over every word and every note with a fine-tooth comb. You make sure that the message of your song is coming across clearly and honestly, that the lyrics aren’t stale or cliche, that the melody is hooky enough, that the form is just right. It’s hard work, but it’s what transforms a great idea into a great song. 

This is also the part where many of us give up too easily. We often say “meh” and either scrap the song or just decide that it’s as good as it’s going to get. It’s part laziness, part fear and part acceptance of the myth that creativity is all magic and divine inspiration. Editing isn’t sexy. It’s not Rock n’ Roll. 

There are a million practical tools for editing, but in this blog we really want to talk about how to adjust our mindset and develop a healthy perspective that will allow our inner editor to grow and thrive. 

Here are 6 ways to be a healthy editor. 

1. Create first. Edit Second. The biggest mistake we make in editing is to edit before we create. All that does is stunt you, making you self-conscious and judgmental of your writing. It’s essential to let your creativity flow freely. Then you can go through the beautiful mess you’ve made and put all the pieces together. 

“I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles.” - Shannon Hale 

2. Accept that it can be hard. You know that old saying, “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration?” Well, that’s the cold hard truth, friends. Editing takes a lot of time and effort, and it can sometimes feel like you’re putting together a jigsaw puzzle (and maybe missing some crucial pieces). If you catch yourself thinking “I suck at this,” just gently remind yourself that this is the hard work of songwriting for most of us. You can bet every other writer has those same exact thoughts. So kindly tell those thoughts to step aside so you can get back to work.

3. Practice, practice, practice. If you want to be a better guitarist, you have to practice. There’s no way around that, right? The same thing goes for songwriting, performing, collaborating and YES, editing! The more time you spend editing, the more tools and tricks you’ll develop. You’ll become quicker, more adept, less judgmental, and most importantly, you’ll have the experience to know that there is a light at the end of the editing tunnel. 

4. Don’t settle, but know when to step away. Like we’ve just said, editing is not always easy. So don’t give up just because it’s hard. It’s important that you persevere and keep plugging away until you’re really satisfied with every part of it. But it’s also very helpful to take breaks, especially when you really feel like you’ve hit a wall. Don’t consider it a failure if you step away and come back to it in an hour or in a day. Editing really benefits from fresh ears, a fresh mind, and even a good night’s sleep. 

5. Phone a Friend. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to share your song with a trusted friend who can help you take it over the finish line. If you’re co-writing, then you have that support built in. But if you’re writing solo, bringing somebody else into the editing process can provide you with a fresh perspective that helps you to crack the code! Remember that authors often have multiple people edit their books before they go to print. 

6. Don’t get too attached. Our songs are our babies. It’s natural to want to hold onto every bit of them. But a good editor has to know when to let go and when to change direction. You have to approach the editing process with some objectivity and tough love!  

“The first step of editing is to get out anything that is bad writing. The second step is harder to learn: You have to get out even the good writing if it does not serve the point. It is difficult. The lifeboat is leaving. There are too many people for it. They are all good and deserving people. But if they all go in the lifeboat, it will sink!” - Jack Hardy

We hope this helps you to put aside any fear or judgement that comes along with editing, and approach it with a more balanced and healthy attitude. Let us know in the comments what you think! 

Happy editing, 
Allie & Bess