Editing your own writing can be hard. Trying to figure out what your brain is filling in versus what is actually on the page is sometimes exhausting. Here are six easy editing tips to make the editing process easy and efficient.
ONE: Read aloud
Reading aloud is a very helpful way of finding errors that may be skimmed over while reading in your head. Sometimes one may type for hours thinking everything is perfect. There might not even be any squiggly red lines underneath to say anything is wrong. Yet as soon as the writing is read aloud, lo and behold an unmistakable error.
TWO: Let someone else read your writing
This tip must start with a disclaimer. If you are writing for school and your professor or school does not allow this because it would be considered cheating, follow the rules of your class and/or school. However, if that is not the case, let me tell you the benefits of another brain.
A lot of times as authors of our work, we know what we are trying to say. However, sometimes we do not do a great job getting our message across. Another set of eyes that can ask you, “What did you mean by this” or say “that sentence doesn’t make sense” is very helpful in understanding your potential readers. This type of feedback lets you know what a reader is thinking and how well or poorly they are understanding your writing. This will help you pinpoint what may or may not need to be edited.
THREE: Have someone read your writing aloud to you
If possible, you should let someone read your writing out loud to you. Hearing someone else read aloud will help you to realize where there may be a lack of understanding. This is evidenced in intonation, facial expressions or even a statement saying “I don’t get it.” When reading aloud, people naturally tell how they are feeling about the writing in their voice and with their physical expressions. If someone reads the funniest part of your story and they pause, tilt their head and look confused, you know something probably didn’t go quite right.
FOUR: Have your device read your writing aloud to you
Nowadays you can have your device read your writing to you. This obviously does not give the same visual information as a person reading aloud. However, it is fantastic because you can just sit back and listen as if it were a podcast, audiobook or radio show. Things that your brain may have skimmed over because you knew what you meant to write will be much clearer and more obvious. Accidentally dropping an e on a word like made, can be skimmed over. It is much more noticeable when listening to it read aloud as mad on your device.
FIVE: Grab a pen and some paper (or at least a digital version)
Pen and paper, how I love you so. One of my favorite things to do when editing a paper is to print it out, read it aloud and mark every little thing I am thinking about changing. It has been an absolute game changer. Staring at a screen for a long period of time can be headache inducing. This helps alleviate some of that. It is also a way to pay closer attention to the changes that you are making. Overall, I have found that I personally focus so much better on making good edits when I have a hardcopy of the document present.
Now I know, not everyone can or wants to print out their writing to edit it. However, there is a potential solution for that. You can use a digital notebook app or other digital document app on a tablet with a digital pen.
SIX: Stop editing
Perfectionism can really stunt creativity. If you find yourself editing to find the perfect plot, the perfect character, or the perfect lines, stop editing now! Trust in your God given storytelling abilities. This is a good point to have someone else read your work so that you are only editing things that truly do not make sense versus changing the story one thousand times just to find the perfect variation.
Six Easy and Efficient Editing Tips for New Writers
•