We don’t want our readers to be caught up in this conundrum; instead, we would want them to enjoy what they are reading. In the formal sense of the art of writing, editing becomes a crucial aspect in giving the necessary flight to our written thoughts. Certain tips will help you edit your writing because no one can know better about the sense you want to convey.
First of all, one needs to treat writing as the physical representation of thinking. Naturally, after you have completed the first draft, you have to reread it, line by line, with thorough attention. You may even choose to read it aloud as it has the added advantage of vocal expressions. When you read it, ask yourself whether the write-up actually came out as you had envisioned? If not, then try to pinpoint the portions that seem jarred or forced into the writing.
Secondly, while editing your writing, check for the technical aspects like punctuations, jargon, spelling, and passive voice. There are a lot of tools available for this purpose, like Grammarly, but I would suggest that you don’t rely on them blindly. After all, they are just tools to make your work easy and not do it for you.
Try spending more time in the introductory section in terms of structural changes. This is the part that contains the hook, something which can pique the curiosity of the readers. Now, if you are working with longer pieces, try to focus on building the narrative by segmenting the writing into paragraphs. Ensure that the paragraphs have interconnectivity—they shouldn’t read as if there is no relation between two paragraphs.
You shouldn’t be concerned about re-writing some portions if the need arises. Sometimes it may so happen that your writing might seem all over the place. In such cases, try to extract the essence of the jarring portions and re-write them to create a coherent piece.
These inputs will surely help you to become a better writer. All of your self-editing has to work in a time-bound process if you work within a deadline. There is no need to worry because editing your writing is like organizing your thoughts and presenting them. With some practice, you will be good to go!
