✄ what’s your editing process?
I already answered this but I always have more to say...!
when editing for other people and for myself, I try to keep in mind: 1) filter phrases, 2) repetition, 3) information, 4) momentum. (and a ton more but that's what's coming to mind right now).
filter phrases and close repetition of words both tend to be easy to fall into, but easy to pick up on if you're specifically looking out for them; addressing that really helps clean up a draft.
With information, that actually means... a lot of things! what I usually focus on re: information is how it's chunked and what can be moved to subtext. I've been using the phrase 'chunking information' since forever, but I haven't really seen people talk about it until this post on 'economy of information'--even then, the economy of information post is more large scale and I approach it on a smaller scale. if one sentence has like, three-ish pieces of information--like, expressing an emotion, introducing a topic, expressing a second emotion--a lot of the times it's easier to parse if it's separated out UNLESS it's done intentionally or in a structured way. with what can be moved to subtext, I'm a big believer in making the reader do a little work. I love leaving specific things unsaid and/or setting up an obvious conclusion without directly stating it.
with momentum, that also means a lot of different things... so I'm just gonna focus on one part of it lol. characters can contradict themselves, or change their minds, but going back and forth can kill momentum if it's not done *intentionally*. I really like writing characters that lie to themselves or are kind of chaotic, so it's something I pay attention to a lot. I look for where the contradiction/back-and-forth feels natural, and where it slows things down.
✎ how do you think readers would guess a fic was yours if you posted anonymously?
probably dialogue and voice, but it really depends on what I'm writing for. I think my Yusuke voice *could* be sussed out because I have a very specific interpretation of a character that people seem to have a lot of different interpretations for, but Ryuji's voice is a little more universally characterized in the fandom...? (ish.)
I also go very over the shoulder third person, so I think the way I use prose more for internal processes than I do for description could be picked up on...?
