I began my professional writing career with a major corporation. Soon after starting that job, I was thrilled when my boss praised me for writing clean. What my boss was trying to say was that she liked that I could write quickly and needed few edits (mostly for those darned dangling participial phrases I love). The problem with her praise was that it stunted my growth as a writer. I leaned into the idea of writing clean and gladly whipped up assignments with little to no edits and called it good. My boss was happy. I was happy. What more did I need to do?
The answer was: a lot.
It wasn’t until I left to start my freelance career that I realized “good” and “competent” weren’t enough or what I wanted from my writing. Writing well takes more effort.
All writing needs editing. A clean first draft isn’t enough. All that means is that you have a grasp of grammar and can craft a decent story the first time out. It doesn’t mean your work is the best it could be. Only revision can give you that. Successful writers know this truth: the best writing happens in rewriting. Even Mozart, once thought to have written his compositions from memory without errors, added notes and phrases after the initial composition (based on evidence of different inks on his manuscripts, which indicates a form of editing or revision). His compositions were unique in one major aspect though—they didn’t include any mistakes or cross-outs like nearly every other composer or writer.
Unfortunately, none of us is Mozart. We need to work harder.
Editing is a vital and essential part to great writing. Here are some tips on how to edit your work:
Revision
This is the concept of looking at your work again and re-visioning it. This is your chance to look at your story with new eyes and see whether you have told the story in the best way possible. It begins by looking at the story as a whole and then move on to note plot holes, characters who are not acting like themselves, drifting story lines, sagging middles, dull settings, lack of tension, pacing problems, instances of telling instead of showing, and all the other parts that make up a strong bit of writing. Revision lets you analyze your own work. If you want to know how to do this more in depth, read my two-part series on dissecting writing.
High Standards for Yourself
Maintain high standards for yourself. Don’t complacently accept passable writing as good. Take the time to edit and not just proofing. Look at structure and grammar. Dissect your work for the deepest flaws and fix them. Don’t be happy with writing a clean first draft. Push yourself and your writing beyond that level.
Take Your Time
Don’t rush your edits. Once you finish your first draft, let it sit for a while. Taking a break lets you come back to it with fresher eyes, which will help you see the issues more easily. Don’t write an article, immediately edit it, and send it off. Your brain needs time to think about what you have put on the page. Sometimes that distance will reveal a great idea to incorporate into your work. Other times your subconscious will alert you to problems. At the very least, you will approach your editing with a clearer head. It also helps to pause before proofreading.
Ask for Help
Editors are invaluable, as are Beta Readers. As writers, we spend so much time working on our novels that it’s hard to see the flaws. Another set of eyes can help. Ask friends, colleagues and professionals to read your work and give constructive criticism—clear feedback you can act on and change (if you agree with the problem they are raising).
Editing Programs
These can be helpful to alert you to grammatical issues, such as subject-verb disagreement or misplaced modifiers, but keep in mind these programs are guides. They shouldn’t be your only means of editing. You need to know the rules yourself so you can read your writing as an editor and proofreader. Don’t just click accept on a grammar program’s suggestions and call it a day. First, not all of the suggestions will be right. Sometimes they will suggest a change that is counter to what you are trying to say. Second, the programs are looking for uniform writing and, while that may be technically perfect, it can remove all personality from your writing. It’s the difference between watching a technically great dancer and a great performer. One is impressive, but the other is fantastic. This brings me to my last point:
The Danger of Over Editing
There is such a thing as over-editing. It happens when you rework your sentences so much that you edit the life out of them. Sometimes perfect grammar and word choice isn’t perfect writing. Don’t rework your writing so much that you kill it. Find a balance between good writing and great voice, pacing, and flow. Above all, preserve your story. Every edit should serve your story and characters. Every edit should make your work stronger or better. Good story and voice are always more important than writing a perfect sentence or grammatically correct, technically perfect bit of writing.