Editing, otherwise known as Author Torture

So during Camp NaNoWriMo, I was asked about how I edit.  I had just finished my novel and was in the process of editing it during the later part of the month.  I figured other writers might be interested in hearing how I edit, since it could be either different from what you do or something that you've never tried before.  Anyway, I figured I'd give a general overview of how I go about editing.

First I go through and read my first draft (which, btw, is a terrible thing to make an author do) and make a little outline of what happened in each chapter, marking what the major problems were along the way.  Once I've gone through and fixed those problems, I'll read through again, crossing my fingers that it'll be better.  Only once I've finished the major problems (inconsistencies, any plot holes, strange character motives/reactions/developments, etc) will I go through more carefully and fix awkward things like dialogue or description or whatever. After that's fixed, I'll read through once more, polishing (i.e. Is that really the word I want there? etc.).

Obviously, the three phases I just laid out there take more than one try each.  For example, the novel that I'm currently editing (or was - I'm taking a break from it so I can look at it with fresh eyes again) received a pass where I fixed a bunch of inconsistencies in primarily changing character motives.  But at the end of that pass, I realized I wanted to change a certain character's motive again, so that required another pass at it.

As I edit, I often find other things that need to be fixed or changed, even after I've outlined the major problems I knew to begin with.  That's why I find editing to be rather torturous - even though you're fixing it, you keep finding parts that need more repair.  Eventually you get to a point where it all seems like it's falling apart, even though you've been editing like mad.  That's when I stop, let it sit for a while (a week, a month, whatever), and come back to it later.  I'll read through it once to get back in the story, and go on with editing.

Now that you know how I edit - how do you edit?  Does it differ from what I do?  I also know that some people love editing, and prefer it to writing the first draft.  That's not me, so I wonder why?  If you're one of those people, enlighten me please?

Motivation

Unfortunately, I'm not providing motivation today.  I'm looking for some myself.  With my novel done, I really need to edit.  I let it sit for a few days while I worked on finishing up my 50k for Camp (oh, did I mention I won?  Still so excited), but now I need to get back in and start editing.  I already know that's going to entail some more writing, because I kind of forgot half my characters from the beginning, then realized it and stuck them in again at the end, so there's a big chunk in the middle where they really are in desperate need of character development to get them to the point where they can act the way I made them act at the end and have it make sense after the way they acted in the beginning.

(I'm not entirely sure that last sentence made sense itself.  I mean behavior at first is inconsistent with behavior at end, and I need to add character development in the middle so that it flows.  There we go.)

Problem is I tend to be rather social when I write.  When actually writing (by that I mean putting the words down), I do word wars and sprints and Write or Die by Dr. Wicked to get the words down.  But I haven't had very much experience editing, so even though I know exactly what I need to do, I just can't seem to make myself actually DO it.

So, what do you do when you don't want to do something?  Any tips are appreciated.  :)

A novel? Finished? I must be dreaming.

Yes, you read that right.  And since it's been almost twenty four hours now, I'm fairly sure that I'm not dreaming.  Or at least, if I am, I'm perfectly happy to stay dreaming.  Allow me this fantasy!  Stop the voices!  They're following me!

Ok, perhaps I haven't had quite enough sleep.

But maybe I should back up now.  Yesterday I finished my novel - yeah, the one I've been doing for Camp.  I can't remember if I already posted this part or not, but I'm, or I was, rebelling for Camp and finishing a novel I'd already started.  30k added, and I'm done.  Which is great!


Except that now I have to edit.  If you did NaNoWriMo last November and won, you also got a CreateSpace code - it's for 5 free copies of your book.  That code expires at the end of June (that's this month, for people like me who lose track of entire months and maybe even years at a time).  I would really like to have this novel that I just finished, A) get a title, B) get edited, and C) become physical.  A whole five copies!  So awesome.

I still am planning on doing a short story to get me over 50k for the month, but I'm going to be editing and rewriting and revising and everything to frantically get this novel ready for my public humiliation.  I.e. showing the novel to my family and/maybe friends.  Scary.

Oh yeah, and I still need a cover...hmm.  Maybe I should look around and see if I can figure out how to use GIMP - or maybe I can edit a picture I have because it might be kind of perfect...we'll see.

Where do you get covers?  And how do you go about editing?  I'm pretty new to the whole "actually have something to edit" thing.  Tips for me?  As I go along I'll post what works for me to edit as well under the label Writing Tips.

Hoping I don't go mad from hard core writing...oh wait, I already am.