Self-Editing
We all aim for perfect writing but we fail to focus on the editing part. Yes, self-editing is crucial for any piece of writing. When you complete writing, take some moment to read it and you’ll spot lots of changes.
When reading over the rough draft, you may find it challenging to remember everything that needs attention. And so, having a checklist can be a valuable tool to guide you through the complete process.
Whether you’re new to writing or curious to learn self-editing; then this article is for you.
Few essential points to remember during the editing process.
Grammar
The hardest part of editing is to check grammar usage. To work on this, check if your writing follows grammar rules or use tools like Grammarly, Quillbot or Ginger.
Avoid Passive voice
Check for passive voice constructions and consider revising them to make your writing more direct.
We often hear many saying about passive voice, but some are not aware of how to identify and reduce its usage. Below are a few examples of identifying passive voice in your writing piece.
“To be verbs“: Phrases like ‘was playing,’ ‘has been cleaned,’ or ‘will be built.’ Here, to-be verbs are, “was, has been and will be”.
“The food (subject) was cooked (past participle) by Mary (agent).”
“The document (subject) has been completed (past participle).”
Cutting off passive voices brings a great sentence flow.
Repeated words
Look out for words or phrases that you’ve used excessively. Repeated words make your writing boring and disrupt the flow.
Long sentences
Avoid lengthy sentences that might confuse readers and consider breaking them into shorter ones for clarity.
Consistent tone
The tone and style of your writing should remain consistent throughout. Consistency keeps readers engaged and contributes to the logical structure of a piece.
Jargon
Check your content for any technical jargon that may be unclear to your target audience, and replace or explain as needed.
Structuring sentence
Pay attention to the structure of your sentences to ensure they flow smoothly and convey your message effectively.
Formatting
Review the formatting of your document, including headings, fonts, spacing, and alignment, to create visual appeal.
Spelling
Check your content for any spelling errors, using a spell-check tool or your preferred source, to ensure the accuracy of each word in your writing.
Word choice
Carefully select words that are precise and appropriate for your content, avoiding vague or ambiguous language.
5 Pro Tips for Self-Editing
Take a break before editing
Just have a good sleep or some other activity to unwind before editing. This makes it easier for you to spot errors and provides new ideas or identifies areas for improvement. Once you have done this, you will get to know the ease of self-editing.
Read it out loud
Reading it aloud triggers your brain and helps provide some new insights, correcting the sentence’s tone and structure. Also, it engages both your visual and auditory senses, making it an effective self-editing tool.
Remember your audience
Your writing should match your audience. When you’re checking your own work, ask yourself some questions:
“What would the person {target audience} reading this think?”
“Will they understand it?”
This helps in grabbing a target audience for your writing organically.
Focus on one error at a time
Self-editing is a meticulous and time-consuming process. Concentrate on specific issues during each editing stage. For example, in the first stage of self-editing, focus on grammar and punctuation, and in another, look for repetitive words or phrases. This helps in great output.
Review your writing
Ask your friend or someone to review your writing. If you don’t have someone to review your work, consider using writing assistance tools to help identify errors.
Here are a few tools that help in self-editing: Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, ProWritingAid, Ginger, Read Aloud Feature (TTS), Thesaurus, Readability Tests, LanguageTool, etc.
Conclusion
Self-editing is not a single-step process and it doesn’t happen overnight. Keep practising and one day you’ll become the master of the art.
Remember it’s not about fixing errors; it’s about tailoring your words to your target audience.
Happy editing!
PS: If you’re wondering how to develop a writing habit, read here.
[…] here for editing […]