Editing: Your Path to Divinity (and Divine Writing)

Prewriting ✓ Drafting ✓ Revising ✓

Don’t put down the red pen yet. Now, it’s time to edit.

Edit your writing! — Editing is messy work, but the results are worth it!

Wait, didn’t we just do that? No, we revised our writing. Revising and editing go hand-in-hand, but they focus on different results. While revising makes your work sound good, editing makes your work look good. In the world of writing, both are necessary.

We’ve heard it all before: spelling, punctuation and grammar are important. Blah, blah, blah… But before you file away this grade school knowledge, consider this: grammar, spelling and punctuation can be the difference between your writing being read or not. Why?

Proper punctuation and structure help tell your story. New sentences, paragraph breaks and choosing a hyphen over a comma (or vice versa) help the reader navigate your road map to your point. Imagine trying to read a blog post with no punctuation — one long block of text with no signs where to pause, stop or anticipate a new idea.
With every missing comma or spelling error, you’re asking your audience not to take you seriously. People are interested in what you have to say because they think you know what you’re talking about. But that’s only half the battle; presenting your knowledge is just as important as having it.
Spelling, punctuation and grammar make you look polished, which is important if you’re trying to present a professional image. Stand out from the crowd in a positive way by dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s (and knowing the difference between a hyphen and a dash.

So the next time you’re in a rush and tempted to go straight from writing (step 2) to publishing (step 5), remember Stephen King’s words of wisdom. “To write is human, to edit is divine.”

Sound Off on Editing

What mistake do you always catch in editing?

Do you prefer to edit on screen or on paper?

Share your favorite editing advice below!

If you’re too busy with what you do, we’d love to help you edit your work. Contact us so we can discuss your writing-related project or answer your questions. We may not be all-knowing, but we are here to help. 🙂

Your Editor-in-Chief,
Jaime

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Published by Jaime Shine

I love to write. While most kids were playing with blocks or dolls, I was publishing magazines and newspapers – feature articles, ads, sports box scores, the whole nine yards. From promotions director to advertising roles to branding projects, I’ve always been interested in all forms of marketing. That interest blossomed into a career path and led me to open my own business, which has always been a dream of mine. And I’d love to work my magic for you. Check out my company's services, discover more about me or chime in on my blog, covering a variety of topics, at http://jaimeshine.com. View more posts