10 Tactics to Help You Stop Overlooking How You Can Improve Your Writing
Editing your own writing can be challenging. You might think that you can just edit your own work. But as the author, you are so close to the work that you can easily overlook your mistakes and other problems with the writing. You can also miss when the curse of knowledge is affecting your writing.
If you think you may be overlooking how your writing can be improved, here are 10 tactics you can try.
1. Take time away from the text
When you get some time away from the text, you can reset your thinking and come back to your draft with fresh eyes. When planning your writing process, ensure that you build in extra time to get some distance from the text. Schedule in at least a few days to step away from the text, ideally several times throughout the writing process. If you are getting really close to the due date and can’t get away for a few days, even just a few minutes away from the text can be helpful. You can get a little distance from the text by taking a walk in nature or around your neighborhood.
2. Move to a different environment
Your environment can affect your thinking and productivity. To get a fresh perspective on your writing, take your draft (electronic or printed) to a new environment. You might go to a coffee shop, local park, library, or co-working space, or even a different room in your home or building. Choose a place that will best support your focus and attention as you review your draft.
3. View the text on a different device
When you review your draft on a different device, you can change the layout of your text to help you see the writing through a new lens. Instead of doing all your writing on your desktop computer, you might review your draft on a laptop, tablet, or even a different desktop computer.
4. Print out the text
As an alternative to reviewing the draft on a different device, you can print out the document to review the text on paper. Better yet, take the printed draft to a new environment to double up on your approach to getting a fresh perspective.
5. Change the format of the text
Another option is to change the digital format of the text. Even small changes to the formatting can make your draft look “new” and different. For example, you might change the font type or size, adjust the margins, alter the spacing (ie, single-space or double-space), or divide the text into two columns.
6. Read the text aloud to yourself
To spot problems in your writing, you can also read the text aloud to yourself. This approach can help you to hear any issues with your writing as you read through the text. Reading the text aloud can also slow down your reading so that you notice problems, such as missing words or overloaded sentences.
7. Use the read-aloud tool in your word processor
If you want to listen to your writing but don’t want to read it aloud, you can use the read-aloud tool in your word processor or a screen reader. You can also adjust the speed and change the voices, which can help you get a different perspective on your writing.
8. Read the text backward
An unconventional approach is to read the text backward, sentence by sentence. This approach won’t help you identify larger issues, such as gaps in logic or problems with the story structure. But it can help you spot sentence-level problems, such as issues with sentence structure, sentence length, or word choice.
9. Ask trusted colleagues for feedback
A valuable way to uncover problems with your writing is to get feedback from a trusted colleague or friend. They can bring a fresh pair of eyes and a different perspective to how your writing can be improved. And they don’t have to be an expert in your field. Getting feedback from someone outside your area of expertise can help you make the writing more accessible to a broader audience, which means your writing will have a greater reach and impact.
10. Partner with a professional editor
The most valuable way to learn how to improve your writing is to collaborate with a professional editor. A skilled professional editor can bring a fresh and trained pair of eyes to your writing to help your text—and you—shine. And they can invest time and effort into helping you uncover any trends or habits that you have in your writing so that you can master the craft of writing well.
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