What Does a Writer Do When Editing?
Prepare the final draft
“No author dislikes to be edited as much as he dislikes not to be published.” ― J. Russell Lynes
Slow and steady wins the race. When writers allow this motto to direct their efforts, they practice and apply the skills of successful authors, the reward is engaged readers who devour the narrative.
Most people, through education, studied language usage and mechanics. However, this generally occurs in isolation from writing. Successful editors transfer skills practiced on worksheets and activities from direct instruction to application. This requires a discerning eye to details. Editing involves making corrections.
A writer instinctively edits during all stages of the writing process, but precise attention to details becomes imperative at the end of the process. Allow yourself to say, “I will take care of that at the editing stage.” By ignoring errors when drafting, writers avoid the blocks that stall creative thought. It is a waste of energy to edit before revising is completed because it is quite possible a large amount of material will changed or deleted.
Once the draft is contextually organized and coherent, editing ensures the writing communicates fluently. Right and wrong answers exist at this stage. Be aware that only the right answers are acceptable
Check the details with the precision of a scientist peering through a microscope assessing accuracy.
- Spelling
- Word usage
- Sentence structure
- Punctuation
- Possessive nouns
- Consistent point-of-view
- Contractions
- Verb tense agreement
- Capitalization
“I have rewritten — often several times — every word I have ever published. My pencils outlast their erasers.” — Vladimir Nabokov
For complete access to Strategies for Writers join Medium. Membership opens links to thousands of articles on multiple topics.