Editing. There seems to be no middle ground on this subject. Some people find it crucial while others think it’s a waste of time. I’m firmly in the former camp. To me, it’s one of the most important parts of the writing process—right up there with outlining and actually putting the first draft on paper.

I’m lucky enough to work with one of the best editors in the business, but that doesn’t mean I make her do all the heavy lifting. Before I deliver my manuscript, I’ve already gone over it with a brutally critical eye. An ego bruising activity for sure, but it’s fascinating to watch my book change—and improve—throughout it.

Because I’ve been posting lately on social media about putting the finishing touches on Total Power, I’ve received a lot of questions related to my editing process. It’s fun to talk about the craft of writing every now and then, so I decided to share some thoughts on polishing manuscripts…

Don’t Become Infatuated With Your Own Words

For me, a first draft is where I flesh out the ideas and characters from my outline and turn them into something recognizable as a novel. I keep moving forward at a pace of one chapter a day no matter what. Even if the pages I write are awful, I never look back. Why fix a chapter early on when you may discard or fundamentally change it after you’ve had an opportunity to see your story as a whole? The important thing with first drafts is to get them done. Don’t fall into the trap of endlessly honing an unfinished work. That’s quicksand.

Normally, I complete two drafts before my manuscript makes its way to my editor. The first is typically riddled with notes to myself which I denote with a ?? so I can find them easily. What do those notes contain? Just about anything you can think of. Warnings about boring sections and bland characterizations, ideas that popped into my head while writing, additional research that I need to do, continuity issues… The list is endless.

Cut Or Keep?

Over the years, I’ve attended many conferences in which I’ve helped aspiring authors hone their manuscripts. One of the biggest points of contention is when I suggest that they trim some of the fat to tighten up their work. “I’ve cut as much as I can,” they say. “Everything else is critical.”

No. It’s. Not.

Ask yourself this: Does every sentence on every page have a purpose? Do they help propel the reader through the plot? Enrich a character? Provide necessary information? If not, then they probably belong on the cutting room floor.

Admittedly, it’s emotionally draining. The stuff you’re whittling might actually be good. And even if not, you worked hard on it just the same. Believe me, I understand. If I assembled into one pile all the pages I’ve eliminated over my career, it’d be as thick as one of my novels. So, roughly a year of my life in the recycling bin.

Practicing what I preach. Between the first and second drafts, I cut the equivalent of twelve chapters from Total Power.

Common Pitfalls

Despite having been a novelist for half my life, I find myself—and others—falling into the same traps. Here are a couple that are pervasive.

Repetition

This can be on a micro level—repeated words, sentences, and paragraphs—or grander issues like redundant character descriptions and settings. It might even be something as high level as action sequences that play out in similar ways over and over.

In fact, there are obvious examples in this blog post. Did you notice that I used the cliché falling into a trap twice? Or that I used the word process four times in less than a thousand words? Both jumped out at me when I was editing and would normally be fixed.

Wasting Words

Is it possible to find three words to impart what you’ve said in six? Most people don’t realize it, but everyday conversation is littered with unnecessary chatter. Don’t let this carry over into your writing. The bloat will drag down your story.

Sadly, this is the opposite of what we learn in school. Everyone remembers being assigned a 1,200 word theme and doing everything possible to pad it to that length. When I was young, my favorite subject matter was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Five words out of the way every time I mentioned his name.

The problem is that, when you enter the real world, the opposite is demanded. Novels, emails, business communication—everything—is about getting to the point. No matter what you write, you want readers to zip through it to the end. Not to fall asleep in their chair.

In Conclusion…

Why say a myriad of when you can just say myriad? Both are grammatical and you get the same point across with one-third the words. If you told your reader that a character is blond on page two, there’s no reason to belabor the point on page ten. If you’re writing a gunfight, broad stroke the weather. No need to fire off several paragraphs on the color of the sunset—no matter how poetic they are.

In the end, a writer’s job is to keep readers riveted. Make sure every word does just that.

My version of marak temani, a traditional Yemeni dish.

Typically, I try to spend time in the countries I write about, preferring to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of a place before sitting down at my computer. This time, though, my research for Lethal Agent—book #18 in the Mitch Rapp series—would have taken me to Yemen. It’s just the type of place I’d normally love to visit. Despite being one of the Arab world’s poorest countries, it has stunning landscapes, a fascinating culture, and some of the most beautiful stone villages on the planet.

Unfortunately, Yemen isn’t an ideal destination right now. It’s in the midst of a civil crisis that has drawn in Saudi Arabia and Iran, spreading famine and disease throughout the country.

Because I couldn’t do an exploratory trip, I resorted to poring over news reports, historical narratives, photos, and recordings. Not the same as experiencing the place firsthand, but combined with my experience traveling and living in places like Turkey, Israel, and Africa, it worked.

In the end, though, all this research left me wanting more: I still hadn’t experienced the taste and scent of life in Yemen. I needed to add a basic understanding of Yemeni cuisine to my arsenal, particularly since Mitch spends some time in his friend’s restaurant there. Because I couldn’t sit down at a table in Al Hudaydah myself, I decided to try out a couple of traditional recipes in my own kitchen. Not surprisingly, they’re delicious.

The following soup is my favorite and, along with way too much coffee, it fuels Mitch for a few chapters. Give it a shot yourself while you wait for the release of Lethal Agent!

MaRAPP Temani

*Known as marak temani to everyone else. Adapted from the 196 Flavors blog.

Ingredients

Soup
2 lbs lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into large cubes, keep bones
4 tablespoons hawaij (spice blend, recipe below)
Olive oil for browning the lamb
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
3-4 ripe tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
Beef stock to cover meat and potatoes
3-4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

Hawaij Spice Blend
2.5 tablespoons coriander seeds
2.5 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns or use coarse ground pepper, approximately 1.5 tsp
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
1 tablespoon turmeric (ground)

Instructions

Soup
*I used a pressure cooker but you could easily make this in a Dutch oven.

Sprinkle the lamb with the spice mixture (hawaij). Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot on medium heat and add a portion of the lamb chunks to the hot oil. Periodically turn the lamb so it cooks on a few sides and develops a nice brown exterior. Continue with the remaining lamb, then set the meat aside. If you crowd the meat in the pot, it will steam and won’t brown properly.

Add more olive oil to the pot and sauté the chopped onions and garlic over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Stir often and scrape up bits from the bottom of the pot so they don’t burn.

Add the browned lamb, several lamb bones, and the cilantro to the pot. Cut a large X into each tomato and add them to the pot as well. Pour in enough beef stock to cover everything completely, including the potatoes that you’ll be adding later.

If you’re using a pressure cooker, cook the meat for approximately 30-45 minutes. I usually check the meat after that time to make sure it’s tender. If not, I fire up the pot for a little longer. You can also simmer the lamb for approximately 2.5 hours in a Dutch oven or until it’s tender.

When the lamb is nearly done, add the chunks of potatoes. If you’re using a pressure cooker, you’ll need to cook the soup for an additional 15 minutes or so. If you’re simmering in a Dutch oven, check the potatoes periodically until they’re cooked the way you like them.

Once it’s done, remove any large pieces of tomato skin that didn’t break down and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

To serve, scoop the lamb, potatoes, and broth into warm bowls. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. If you’d like a little heat, harissa (a fiery condiment you can buy or make) can be swirled into the broth. A flat bread, like pita, and tomato slices drizzled with peppery olive oil and sea salt make nice companions for this dish.

Hawaij Spice Blend
Put the whole spices as well as the ground spices together in a heavy skillet and toast the mixture for a few minutes. Be careful not to cook it too long or too hot. Spices burn quickly.

I grind the mixture in a small food processor and then remove any hulls from the cardamom seeds that didn’t break down. A mortar and pestle will work just as well for grinding all the spices together.