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Words can feel like precious stones to a writer. Each word is priceless and they do not want to part with them under any circumstances. It can turn editing into a chore for a writer.
Sometimes it is easy to overlook mistakes among your own words as a writer. You are used to your own voice and do not always recognize your own writing tendencies. It isn’t practical to leave everything in the hands of another person and expect them to work editing miracles. They might not have the time or patience to ferret out every little mistake you have made.
You can polish your writing before it is ever seen by an editor with these reliable self-editing techniques:
1. Read Aloud
Our eyes are not the only editing tools we should use. It also helps to hear what you have written. Words and sentences that sound good in your head don’t always work out the same way on paper. Reading what you write out loud reveals what works and what needs to be polished or removed. It alerts writers to incomplete ideas or helps them find better ways to express an idea or concept.
2. Cut Dead Weight
Repetitive wording saps life from your writing. It comes from writers thinking they need to spell out every little detail for their audience. If you are writing that someone nodded or blinked, for example, it isn’t necessary to write that they nodded their head or blinked their eyes. The words nodded and blinked are enough to paint the mental picture.
3. Activate Verbs
A passive voice can be a writer’s worst enemy. It obscures your point and clutters your writing with unnecessary words. Using an active voice tightens up writing. It creates more action and gets to the point cleaner and quicker. You can usually spot sentences written in passive voice through singling out the word “was.” “My cat was chased by a dog” is an example of a passive sentence. This same sentence constructed around an active verb would read, “A dog chased my cat.” The second sentence is stronger because it is more direct.
4. Shorten sentences
Nothing turns away a reader faster than trying to read an article full of long sentences. Unless you are writing a dissertation, it is best to make your writing as simple and readable as possible. Find ways to make sentences shorter while including the same information. With each sentence you should ask yourself three questions: What is happening? Who or what is doing the action? Who or what is being acted upon? A strong sentence will convey an idea to the reader through the fewest words necessary.
5. Take a break
Sitting in front of your computer screen combing through every little word immediately after you finish writing can end up being counter-productive. Sometimes it’s a good idea to simply walk away for a few minutes and focus your energies on doing something else. It will make your self-editing efforts more productive because you can dive into it with fresh eyes and recharged batteries.