2 Ways to Become a Better Writer
January 5, 2009 · Print This Article
“Revising is part of writing. Few writers are so expert that they can produce what they are after on the first try.”~Strunk and White
There are, of course, many ways to improve your writing, but if you do the following two things regularly, you will definitely become a more responsible, accurate, and effective writer. Thus, you should:
1. Proof your writing
2. Revise your writing
No matter how good your piece may be upon finishing your first draft, you’ll almost always improve it by revising it, often several times, before you turn it in (if it’s for a publication) or post it (if it’s for your blog). Intense proofing of your work is a must as well, if you care about accuracy.
Proofing and revising are distinct, yet related, aspects of good writing; for the sake of this post, though, I’m collapsing them into one. Especially since, for me, they go hand in hand.
I Rely on Proofing and Revising
For the magazine articles I write, I usually write them 100 to 200 words over my editor’s word count for the first draft, so I can include everything I think is worthy of being touched on. I essentially ignore the word count and simply write until I think I’ve covered everything relevant.
Then, I go back and ruthlessly revise it, proofing and editing it until I think it’s ready to send in. Sometimes the changes will be small, such as eliminating redundant words; other times I’ll make big changes, such as eliminating whole paragraphs or completely rewriting my opening. I’m pretty sure there have been times, when upon serious reflection, I decided to move my opening to the end. Or vice versa.
Again, Strunk and White:
“Quite often you will discover, on examining the completed work, that there are serious flaws in the arrangement of the material, calling for transpositions.”
There are plenty of reasons why you should proof and revise your work rigorously before you publish it. Here are three big ones:
- Find and correct any factual errors. You don’t want to publish inaccurate or false information about someone (such as the wrong title–President, CEO, etc.) or to put out false figures and dates. It makes you look bad, makes your arguments suspect, and could anger the people you wrote about.
- Find and correct any spelling/grammar/punctuation errors. Shoddy writing discredits you in the eyes of your readers, and if you’re writing for publication, it makes more work for your editors. Not good. We all let errors escape sometimes, but taking time to proof your piece a few times can greatly reduce the errors that do get through.
- Determine if you need to rearrange passages or come up with a catchier opening or a more substantive ending. Looking at your writing honestly and critically before you publish it can help you see where the piece needs to be made stronger or more engaging. It also gives you one last time to ensure that you’ve covered everything that needs to be in there.
Is Revising Really That Crucial?
I’m sure some bloggers who read this will protest that this type of attention to detail and commitment to excellence is irrelevant for blog writing (or perhaps any writing) and that it takes time and energy away from developing and presenting substantive ideas.
Two brief responses:
One, proofing and revising your writing before you publish it helps to make sure that you really have presented a substantive idea. Perhaps you sat down, banged something out sort of stream-of-consciously, and…then stepped back from it and actually examined the piece and realized you didn’t have much worthwhile to say after all. Or that your legitimately sound argument needed to be presented more persuasively.
Two, if you’re just writing for your blog, then do whatever you want. Remember, though, that the more cleanly and professionally written your piece is, the more likely it is to be well-received. And if you’re writing for publication, you’d better turn in your best possible work–if you don’t think you have the time to revise your work, your editor probably has even less time to do so.
Good writing is hard work, like it or not.
I have something akin to a writing/proofing/revising checklist I adhere to when I write, especially if it’s for publication beyond just my blog. If someone’s paying me to write something for them, I owe them my best and most accurate work. Sticking to that checklist has helped me to, usually, turn in articles with few, if any, errors of any kind. I take my work seriously. In an upcoming post, I’ll share this checklist.
For now, though, Strunk and White have some parting words for you:
“Remember, it is no sign of weakness or defeat that your manuscript ends up in need of major surgery. This is a common occurrence in all writing, and among the best writers.”
I do a lot of revising for my entries. I do so even after I publish sometimes, which is pretty shady. I don’t intend doing that in the future, though.
I’ve noticed at times, I’ll encounter a particular sentence I want to express. Yet, doing so effectively proves frustrating.
A good solution to a brat of a sentence, I’ve found, is to take it out of your prose entirely and put it somewhere clean. Then tackle it all by itself. You can keep the sentence there, and underneath it try to make a new one that captures your sentiment clearly. With those really difficult sentence it’s often best to write a whole new one as opposed to rearranging what you’re trying to improve upon.
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Ye Yes, you know, I wish I would have known about the practice of rewriting early on, I mean, when I first started college. I had a bad habit of procrastination- waiting until the last minute which meant I was aiming for a C paper.
Once I learned to revise my work, I started busting out “A” research papers with ease. Actually, it was hard work like you said. The elements of style is a must have resource. Also, worth a mention is a book called “On Writing Well.”
Your opening quote from elements of style is right on, helps to keep me grounded, I have confidence and pride in my writing but I’m no expert and even professionals aren’t without fault. Timely tips as a new semester is beginning with plenty of writing on the horizon. I can see it, it’s fast approaching!
-Mig
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Bamboo,
You said:
“With those really difficult sentences it’s often best to write a whole new one as opposed to rearranging what you’re trying to improve upon.”
Yes it is. I’ve done that plenty.
Miguel,
Good point about procrastination.
If we give ourselves plenty of time to work on the piece, we can knock it out, let it sit for awhile, and come back to it fresh to see what changes need to be made to enhance the piece.
Excellent advice, Jesse.
Like many writers, I tend to impress myself with the wit and high quality of my initial draft. Until, that is, I re-read it.
I agree that writing your first draft should be a liberated experience, unrestained by constant questioning of our word choices and sentence structure. The key, unquestionably, is to write KNOWING that you will revisit your output and revise it without restraint.
Coincidentally, I just published an article which included some of the advice you offer here in a broader scope. If you look closely, you’ll also find a link to Robust Writing!
Here’s the piece: “Becoming a better writer”
Your good advice, Jesse, has been a constant source of enlightenment. Thank you!
~Jim
Jim Bessey’s last blog post..True Camping Stories: Alien Abduction in the woods?
Proofing takes time and is boring, but it is necessary.
Hello to All,
@ Nicole, there are times when this may be true but for me, when I’m writing something I’m interested in or attempting to explain a view based of research I may feel strongly about- I want the piece to be at its best! You’re right, requires time however, (in my case) the boring factor, not a part of the process in my experiences.
@ Jim
Wow, so true… I’ve seen college students stress over their initial draft without ever revising it because they waited to the last minute.
@Jesse
In college, English teachers would emphasis the importance of stepping away from your work; after your break, you come back to the work with fresh eyes which helps you notice things you may have missed before.
Miguel Wickert’s last blog post..How Twitter Help Me Land A NEW Free Blog Logo
Jim,
You are absolutely right:
“The key, unquestionably, is to write KNOWING that you will revisit your output and revise it without restraint.”
That frees you up to just write.
Thanks for the link. That was a good article your wrote.
Nicole,
Proofing does take time, but it’s worth every minute spent doing it.
Miguel,
Yeah, I’ve heard that advice quite a bit.
Found a blog/website that has extremely concise content.
http://www.trizle.com
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Phillip,
That website is concise. Looks helpful, too.
So far i have received 2 issues about my articles on my months in blogging. Whatever you do, errors will always come up.
So better write things accurately so that you won’t waste time proofing it.
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Charles,
The only way to ensure that you have written accurately is to proof it before you publish it or turn it in.
Proofing one’s writing is never a waste of time for those who truly care about doing an excellent job; in fact, it’s a requirement.
You’re right–errors will inevitably get through no matter what. Rigorous proofing can really cut down on the number of errors, though.
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