How to edit your own writing
You cannot see your own mistakes while the words are fresh. A few simple tricks give you distance.
Editing yourself is hard because you know what you meant. Your brain fills the gaps, skips the typos and forgives the awkward bits. The trick is to make yourself read as a stranger.
Wait#
Time is the best editor. Even a few hours helps, and a night is better. When you return, the words feel less like yours and more like something you are checking.
If you cannot wait, change the setting: print it, or put it in a different font, or read it on your phone. A new look breaks the spell of familiarity.
Read it aloud#
Your ear catches what your eye slides over. Long sentences that run out of breath, repeated words, and phrases that sound stiff all become obvious when you say them.
If you stumble while reading, the reader will stumble too. Mark the spot and fix it.
Edit in passes#
Do not try to fix everything at once. Take one thing per pass:
- Structure. Is the order right? Is anything missing or unnecessary?
- Paragraphs. Does each one make one point?
- Sentences. Can you shorten, simplify or cut?
- Words. Replace vague words with exact ones.
- Typos. Last, because you may delete the sentence you just corrected.
Cut#
Most writing improves when it gets shorter. Look for phrases that add nothing, such as "in order to", "very", "really" and "the fact that". Look for sentences that repeat the previous one in different words.
A good test: remove a sentence and see whether anyone would notice. If not, leave it out.
Know when to stop#
Editing can go on forever. Decide in advance what done looks like, for example: the point is clear, the order works, and it reads smoothly aloud. When it does, stop and publish. A finished piece that is good beats a perfect one that never appears.