Thread by @GetGoodWriting

Writing is 98% editing.

But most people do it wrong.

Here are 7 editing tips that will make your writing stand-out:

1) Wait at least 12-24 hours before editing

Seinfeld treats his writing self and editing self as two different people.

You have different priorities while doing both.

• While writing, your priority is to get words on paper
• While editing, your priority is to remove fluff

Another reason to edit later is to kill the recency bias.

You're going to love everything the moment you write something.

(Even stuff that's BS)

2) Read your draft out loud

Two things to keep in mind while doing this:

• Does this sound conversational?
• Does that feel odd listening to it?

Your brain won't *see* the fluff in your writing, but instantly recognize it once you hear it out loud.

h/t: @dickiebush

3) “Can I use a simpler word to explain this?”

Quite often, you're using jargon without being aware.

Which is a big mistake.

Write like you're writing to a 5th grader.

The simpler your writing, the easier it is for the reader to read.

4) Make it skimmable

Your reader should understand the whole story without even reading the whole thing.

Your subheads should tell a story.

The more skimmable your writing, the more likely it is for the reader to read the whole thing.

h/t" @Nicolascole77

5) “If I eliminate this, would this paragraph lose it’s meaning?”

90% of your writing is cutting out unnecessary fluff.

You'll come across sentences that don't add any meaning to the paragraph.

Cut it ruthlessly.

You don't want to be saying the same thing over and over again.

6) Are your ideas organized linearly?

There's a flow and rhythm the reader feels while reading.

You don't want to break them out of the flow by:

• Writing big blocks of paragraph
• Randomly throwing in ideas
• Going on tangents and missing the point

Have varying sentence lengths.

Keep the writing smooth and to the point.

Make your sentences sing.

h/t: @ItsKieranDrew

7) Read your draft on a different screen

When you're too familiar with the piece, you tend to miss certain things.

Reading it on a different screen forces you to read it as if you've never seen it before.

You'll be able to catch errors and improve your writing more easily.

TL;DR

7 editing tips to make your writing stand out:

Wait at least 12-24 hours before editing
Read your draft out loud
“Can I use a simpler word to explain this?”
Make it skimmable
Eliminate ruthlessly
Are your ideas organized linearly?
Read your draft on a different screen

That's a wrap!

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