Creative writing - Mike Sanders 2014

Word choice and language
Revising and editing
Drafting, researching, and editing

Some of us are both writers and editors, and some of us are not. Some of us can edit just about anything … except our own written language.

Editing can be much more difficult when it comes to your own writing. Part of the problem is that you’ve spent so much time with it. Whether you simply can’t see your own mistakes, or you’re being protective of your work, you can use the following techniques to help you polish your language and improve your writing.

An important thing to remember about editing is that it’s not just a one-and-done process. Most work can stand one or two (or even more) polishes. Another thing to keep in mind is that you can perform edits in whatever order you’re most comfortable with. You even can do some twice (with a great benefit, even), and you can skip some entirely. A lot of this depends on you—your tone, your style, your voice, and your most common mistakes. As you write more, you’ll begin to identify the slipups you typically are prone to.

One of the first things you should check for in your written language is your use of synonyms and repetitions. If you’re finding a lot of repetition, it’s time to break out your thesaurus (print or online). Don’t get too caught up with the thesaurus, though. The two most important things to consider when choosing alternative language are your voice, and your target audience’s preferred reading level.

WATCH OUT!

Don’t choose offbeat synonyms for no good reason; they can become distracting to your reader. Along with synonyms, I want to address flashy or overconstrued writing—the so-called purple prose—all writers should watch out for. One hint that your writing might be a bit too flashy is that you secretly pat yourself on the back when it comes to language you deem clever ideas or interesting turns of phrase. Be careful of this.

Also, you’re not a dictionary, so using one will aid your language immeasurably during your edit. I’ve misused words by complete mistake, but I’ve also done enough reading to see quite a bit of it in other writers. I think we tend to embed the meaning of a word based on where we first hear it, and a lot of times its totally incorrect.

Another aspect of language to be aware of in your edit is active versus passive voice. Most of the time passive voice comes across as weak. However, this isn’t true 100 percent of the time. When you find a passive construction, see if it can fit and work, and still flow, as an active construction. Then trust your gut and go with what looks and sounds best.

Speaking of passive voice, also take note of too much weak language. By this, I mean passages that use “I think,” “maybe,” or “seems.” Sometimes it’s completely appropriate, but often your language will benefit from getting rid of it and instead presenting a firm statement or idea.

Lastly, and maybe even least, go ahead and use whatever other tools you have to finish your edit. Grammar suggestions, spelling suggestions, and other software tools do indeed have a place and can be useful.