A phrase we often hear tossed around about the art of writing is that “rewriting is good writing.” There’s a lot of truth to that statement. First drafts are so rough that even when we try to correct as many mistakes as we write we’ll always find countless mistakes in our spelling and grammar. We’ll spot holes in our story that need to be filled. Editing for content is just as vital as editing for grammar. Between our rough draft and our final draft, there is so much work that goes into the process that the reader never sees.
One very effective part of the editing process is what is often called a cooling off period. Although some writers prefer to jump into the editing process immediately, it can be more beneficial to your story to step away from your rough draft for a period of time before you revisit it. Give yourself some distance from your story for a few days or a few weeks. When you come back to your project, you’ll be able to see your work with fresh eyes. Self editing is hard enough. Taking some time away from your work before you start editing may make it easier to catch your mistakes and add needed improvements.
The benefits of a cooling off period is that you can see your work from a fresh perspective and better see where you need to make improvements or changes to your tone, to see if it is consistent across the entire book or story. Also, it allows you to create some emotional distance from your story. Taking some time away can help you discover better ways to phrase certain sentences or entire paragraphs to better resonate with your readers. Reading your work out loud is also a good way to spot those confusing sentences and phrases as well as spelling errors.
One very effective part of the editing process is what is often called a cooling off period. Although some writers prefer to jump into the editing process immediately, it can be more beneficial to your story to step away from your rough draft for a period of time before you revisit it. Give yourself some distance from your story for a few days or a few weeks. When you come back to your project, you’ll be able to see your work with fresh eyes. Self editing is hard enough. Taking some time away from your work before you start editing may make it easier to catch your mistakes and add needed improvements.
The benefits of a cooling off period is that you can see your work from a fresh perspective and better see where you need to make improvements or changes to your tone, to see if it is consistent across the entire book or story. Also, it allows you to create some emotional distance from your story. Taking some time away can help you discover better ways to phrase certain sentences or entire paragraphs to better resonate with your readers. Reading your work out loud is also a good way to spot those confusing sentences and phrases as well as spelling errors.
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