6 Editing Tips for Writers

Introduction

Editing can often feel like a daunting task (I know it does for me!), but it's a crucial part of the writing process. Editing can significantly improve your work. I know too well how challenging it can be to look at your own writing with a critical eye, but, like cleaning your room, it has to be done eventually! So, here are six valuable editing tips for writers.

6 Editing Tips for Writers

Take a Break Before Editing

'Step away from your writing. Let it rest and come back with fresh eyes.' — Stephen King

Stephen King recommends taking a break after writing to gain a fresh perspective. In his book 'On Writing,' he describes how he leaves his drafts for at least six weeks before revisiting them for edits. I've done this many times myself. It does make a difference. I think, when you step away from your draft, maybe work on something new for a bit, then come back to it, you can see things from a new perspective. My problem is that I completely forget about it!

Read it Aloud

'Reading your work aloud can help catch errors and awkward phrasing.' — Anne Lamott

In her book, 'Bird by Bird,' Anne Lamott suggests reading your writing aloud to help spot the mistakes that aren't obvious when reading in your head. One thing I do is use a text-to-speech reader. I find the monotone voice particularly helpful in spotting errors.

Cut Unnecessary Words

'Omit needless words.' — William Strunk Jr.

William Strunk Jr., in 'The Elements of Style,' talks about the importance of concise writing. He demonstrates how eliminating superfluous words enhances clarity and impact. When I look back at my writing, this piece of advice forces me to consider each word. Do I need to say it? Does it add anything?

Get a Second Opinion

'Two heads are better than one.' — John Heywood

Ernest Hemingway relied on feedback from his contemporaries, like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein, to refine his manuscripts. Their insights were invaluable in his editing process. A lot of other writers get feedback from writing groups. If it's something you're comfortable with, you could even use AI tools like ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot. Just ask it to evaluate some of your writing and suggest ways you could improve it.

Consider things from the Reader's Perspective

'You can’t write for everyone. You’re not going to please everyone.' — Margaret Atwood

In her diverse range of novels, Margaret Atwood always keeps her target audience in mind, ensuring that her writing resonates with the intended readers. Readers of different genres sometimes have different expectations from a book. It's a good idea to think about this when you're editing. Perhaps you could even have a particular person or type of person in mind.

Use your Tools Wisely

Consider using editing tools like Grammarly or Hemingway Editor to catch grammatical errors and improve readability. I have been using Grammarly for the last two years and haven't looked back!

Final Thoughts

As Terry Pratchett said, 'The first draft is just you telling yourself the story'. Don't worry about editing. Let drafting be drafting and editing be editing. Think of them as two separate processes. In drafting, focus on the words. Tell your story. Try not to get bogged down in sentence structure or punctuation. You can fix that later. Ernest Hemingway famously said, 'the first draft of anything is shit', so I say, let your drafts be shit!

'The main rule of writing is that if you do it with enough assurance and confidence, you’re allowed to do whatever you like. (That may be a rule for life as well as for writing. But it’s definitely true for writing.) So write your story as it needs to be written. Write it honestly, and tell it as best you can. I’m not sure that there are any other rules. Not ones that matter.' — Neil Gaiman