In a past tip for new and aspiring writers I discussed the importance of beta readers for your work. Getting feedback at all stages of your writing is crucial to improve your writing.
Another way to improve is to become a better editor of your own work. I’ve found that a great way to do this is to start with others’ work. Reach out to peers and ask them if you can beta-read their work. This is valuable for several reasons:
- It shows you that everyone–even the best writers–have messy initial drafts
- You’ll recognize weaknesses (punctuation, spelling, word choice, etc.) in others’ writing–and by recognizing this, you’ll learn to recognize it in your own work
- You’ll begin to hone your “editor’s eye” and learn to improve your own editing
It is true that naturally, some of us are better editors than others. Some great writers are just not good at seeing the mistakes in their own work, including blatant spelling errors. Not every great writer is a great editor, but honing your “editor’s eye” will make your writing better. Another benefit: nurturing your ties with other writers means that they will return the favor and edit your work at some point.
I am naturally blessed with a decent “editor’s eye,” but when I began to edit professionally the experience enhanced my self-editing. I’d find myself writing something, and recognize the mistakes I picked up in my clients’ work. Passive voice is a still a huge problem for me, but I’m getting better at recognizing it as I write because I so often flagged it for others.
There are many tips out there that can help you become a better self-editor. Here’s a post that recently appeared on the New England Speculative Writers blog, courtesy of Morgan Sylvia. You can also google “self-editing.”
Now go forth and write (and then edit!)
