Writing isn’t easy. Actually, writing is easy, but writing well is difficult. But, you know what’s harder than writing? Editing your own work.
We’ve all been there — spending hours writing and editing your newest blog post and it’s perfect in your eyes. Then you pass it off to your editor and she finds 15 obvious mistakes. Thanks a lot, Regina…really wanted you to rip my work apart on this sunny Wednesday morning.
If you’re tired of Regina always finding mistakes, today’s Read will save you.
WordStream is coming in hot with this article on self-editing tips to make you a better writer. A few of their tips:
- Stop using fancy words just to sound smarter. There’s a myriad of these words out there, but they don’t help you convey a message. Those words just make your writing harder to read.
- Use Germanic words instead of Latinate words when possible. Example: the word “utilize” is used all the time in writing, but who ever says that word in conversation? No one. It’s a Latinate word.
- Stop making baseless assumptions. If you make a claim, back it up with a reference to your research. (See: Goop + deceptive advertising.)
- Add interesting details. Details are necessary in writing, but they have to help advance the point you’re making. A boring detail like, “Regina was wearing a dress” doesn’t help you connect with Regina and it doesn’t help you learn much about Regina.
- Teach people something. This was one of our favorite tips. If you’re going to write and publish something, why not teach your readers a valuable lesson?
