A close friend or partner (in my case, Sarah is both) can be like an editor for your life, helping you avoid mistakes that you would regret. That happened a few weeks ago, when I wrote a newsletter while still drugged up and loopy from an operation on my back.
Sarah didn’t have to read the piece to know sending it out was a bad idea. I listened to her, even though I thought she was wrong.
Boy, am I glad I did!
I had missed a few editions of this newsletter. I needed to take it easy and my mind was fuzzy. But I felt flattered when readers said they missed my work. As my energy started to improve, my ego insisted I get back to work, and my impaired brain lied to me, insisting it wasn’t impaired.
Sarah was right, of course. This wasn’t the time to be writing. And that piece will never leave my laptop.
This may be a special case—the rule “don’t write when you are on opioids” is fairly obvious—but we’re always writing from a particular point of view, and every point of view has blind spots. An editor can see yours them better than you can.
Editors help avoid mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. Ergo, everyone needs an editor.
I developed as a writer when thorough editing was more common. My early editors at newspapers helped me learn clarity, fairness, and economy. I’ve also written here about my best early book editor, who took time to understand my work at the deepest level to improve it.
In the age of paper, newspapers and magazines had at least two editors read every sentence before printing. The internet displaced that system.
Today, most writers lack editors as mentors. We usually perform without the safety net of a good editor to catch mistakes.
Most internet writing is posted directly by the author, and even professional news sites do only cursory editing. Book editing has declined with the economics of books—most editors don’t have time for a close read.
Here are some ideas that can help.
Set aside your writing to read later with fresh eyes before posting. I usually write at least two days ahead, long enough to forget how I chose my words, so I can see flaws and alternatives more clearly. And long enough to be in different emotional state, able to judge more objectively what I am saying.
For longer works, many professional writers hire their own editors to improve their work. This can start with coaching, or developmental editing, as you structure the piece. Or it can come later, cleaning up a manuscript.
I do a lot of that work, and other good coaches are available, too. But be cautious, as scammers prey on aspiring writers.
Part of maturing as a writer is learning not to treat your words as precious. You must surrender some pride to accept someone else has a better idea.
That’s a helpful skill to avoid mistakes in life, too.
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