Blog post updated 07/07/2019.
Writing seems to be a dying art these, especially among the younger generation. Technology is something that we rely too much, and because of that, many new writers are frightened to make mistakes and learn how to edit their work properly.
Really good writing comes with long hours spent going over sentence structure, grammar and punctuation, with only our eyes telling us what we see.
Just looking at past writer's you know they took the time to write and edit meticulously. Sometimes taking weeks or months or even years to get it just right. Fortunately editing on digital media isn't the only way to check over your writing.
Really good editing improves the simplicity, and effectiveness of a piece.
Here are 8 tips to sharpen your Editing skills.
1. Recite Your Writing Back to Yourself
This will help you identify any awkward or out of place paragraphs or words.
2. Read Your Work Back to Yourself
This will stop your brain filling in what it expects to see.
3. Look With Fresh Eyes
In other words leave well alone after you've written your draft, at least one evening and come back to it fresh the next day.
4. Don't Make it Too Wordy
You shouldn't be adding words, but rather removing them. Pithy is more powerful than long winded.
5. All Words and Phrases Should Add Value to Your Piece
If not got rid of them.
Writing seems to be a dying art these, especially among the younger generation. Technology is something that we rely too much, and because of that, many new writers are frightened to make mistakes and learn how to edit their work properly.
Really good writing comes with long hours spent going over sentence structure, grammar and punctuation, with only our eyes telling us what we see.
Just looking at past writer's you know they took the time to write and edit meticulously. Sometimes taking weeks or months or even years to get it just right. Fortunately editing on digital media isn't the only way to check over your writing.
Here are 8 tips to sharpen your Editing skills.
1. Recite Your Writing Back to Yourself
This will help you identify any awkward or out of place paragraphs or words.
2. Read Your Work Back to Yourself
This will stop your brain filling in what it expects to see.
3. Look With Fresh Eyes
In other words leave well alone after you've written your draft, at least one evening and come back to it fresh the next day.
4. Don't Make it Too Wordy
You shouldn't be adding words, but rather removing them. Pithy is more powerful than long winded.
5. All Words and Phrases Should Add Value to Your Piece
If not got rid of them.
6. Don't Use Academic Language as a Model
In other words keep it simple and write like a journalist.
7. Throw Out Endless Repetition
Say what you want to say clearly and leave it at that.
8. Get Rid of Unnecessary Adverbs
Use "he ran" instead of the superfluous "he ran quickly".
It takes time to be a really good editor of your own work. In the end your writing will be more effective, alive and more readable, that's the most important thing for you to remember.
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