Four Tips for Self-Editing
/We at Inspira will be the first to say how crucial it is to invest in a professional editor. Nothing elevates your writing like having someone in your corner who can come to your work with discernment and objectivity. However, learning to edit your own writing is a crucial component of the creative process.
Self-editing, however, can be tricky. Reading our own words often means glossing over awkward patterns of speech, missing words, and “duh!” typos. The trick when self-editing is to gain objectivity and come at your writing as one of your readers so you can address needed changes. Here are four tips to set yourself up for success as a self-editor and come to your writing with fresh eyes:
Let it rest. Give yourself time away from a completed draft before returning to edit it. The longer, the better: the point is to return with a new perspective and a sharp mind. We realize this can be difficult for writers with lots of tight deadlines; however, it is such a useful habit, you may consider regularly scheduling a “rest period” between your writing and editing phases. At least a few weeks is preferable for book-length manuscripts, but if you’re strapped for time, even an hour away is helpful.
Read it aloud. As writers, we spend plenty of time looking at our words, but not enough time hearing them. Nothing highlights weak points in writing like hearing it spoken. While speaking and writing styles need not totally align, a piece that is easy on the ears indicates one that will flow well on the page. Use Microsoft Word’s “Read Aloud” feature, or read your piece aloud yourself, red pen in hand.
Print it out. Speaking of red pens, it can be useful for computer users to print physical copies of their writing and edit it on real paper. Giving yourself a break from your screens and holding your writing in your hands makes it easier to spot typos and formatting inconsistencies. It’s also nostalgic, can be done by candlelight, and allows for margin doodles!
Change the font. This method is particularly helpful as it is so simple and can be easily used in conjunction with other self-editing practices. Simply changing the appearance of your words for the duration of your editing goes a long way in freshening your perspective on your writing. If you’ve written a manuscript in Times New Roman, highlight everything and put it in Courier. Or Comic Sans. Or Papyrus. (Maybe not Wingdings.)
Look beyond just the writing mechanics. There is more to editing than just “copy editing”; we also need to consider “structural” or “developmental” editing. This means looking at bigger picture elements of your manuscript, like:
Is there a strong introduction that hooks the reader?
Do the chapters flow logically with good transitions?
Is there repetition that can be eliminated?
Does each paragraph contain just one topic?
Are large portions of text broken up by quotes, lists, illustrations, graphs, etc.?
Are there places you can replace weak, common verbs with stronger, more descriptive ones?
Are there passive sentences that can be changed to active voice?
Do sentences vary in length?
Learning to self-edit well is an important part of the writing process. The more you do it, the more proficient you will become at it, and the more polished and refined (and interesting to read) your writing will be!