Self-editing

[geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA]

 Lisa Miller wrote to report her problems with self-editing
 and ask for suggestions. Lisa, first off, don't get into
 the self-doubt trap. If everyone could self-edit, there'd
 be no need for editors. The problem is that each of us
 lives inside our own head, comfortably walled off from the
 real world by our accumulated experience and the
 assumptions we make on that basis. Very few people can make
 the jump to understanding how our own model of the world
 differs from those of everyone else... and the omissions
 etc. you're talking about are largely a result of this
 problem: _you_ already know what you mean, and
 subconsciously fill in the gaps... which makes you a
 skilled reader, but a poor self-editor.

 The only really good solution is to hire an editor, either
 full-time or freelance. The ad hoc solution is to set aside
 your writing for at least a week and come back to it with a
 fresh eye... the mistakes will jump right out at you. In
 between the two, find a colleague who can review your text
 for you, and offer the colleague the same service in
 return.

 --Geoff Hart     @8^{)}     geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
 Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.

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