How to Edit Like a Pro: Tips & Tricks

Editing, is actually one of my favorite parts of writing. It’s where your rough draft is polished into something professional, compelling, and clear. But what is the best way to optimize your editing time? I’ve come to an approach through trial and error, and I hope these tips and tricks will help you refine your writing and bring your best work forward.

1. Take a Break Before Editing

Before diving into edits, step away from your manuscript for a day or two. Or 7. Or even better, 30. I tend to find the longer I am writing a piece, the more time I need before I can see it clearly. A flash? A couple of days. A novel? 2 months. This break allows you to return with fresh eyes and perspective, making it easier to spot issues you might have missed during the initial writing phase. Giving yourself this distance is essential for seeing your work objectively and approaching it with a critical mindset.

2. Read Your Work Aloud

One of the most effective ways for me to catch awkward phrasing, pacing problems, or missing words, and to understand where punctuation should and shouldn’t go is to read my writing aloud. When you hear your words, you’ll notice things that don’t flow as smoothly or sound unnatural. This technique can also help you identify repetitive words, phrases, or sentence structures that weaken your writing.

3. Focus on Structure First

During the first round of edits, focus on macro-level elements like story structure, pacing, and character development. Ensure that your narrative flows logically and that your characters are fully developed. Are there any plot holes? Does the story drag in certain areas? Are all character motivations clear? These big-picture changes should come before you get into the nitty-gritty grammar and word choice details. There’s no point worrying about comma placement if you’re deleting that entire sentence anyway.

4. Trim the Excess

Less truly is often more. (I refer you to Ken Rand’s excellent book The 10% Solution for in depth approaches to this.) Once the story structure is in place, start trimming unnecessary words, sentences, or even entire paragraphs. Be ruthless with your editing—if a sentence doesn’t contribute to the plot, character development, or theme, remove it. Concise writing is not only more engaging but also more powerful.

Sometimes this is heartbreaking but for me, I can often go ahead and prune brutally if I make a copy of the file and ‘pretend’ to myself it’s not permanent. As long as I know I have my original wording safe and stored to rescue should I change my mind, I have less problems mentally cutting.

5. Fix Grammar, Punctuation, and Style

After addressing structural edits, it’s time to focus on grammar, punctuation, and stylistic consistency. Check for common mistakes like run-on sentences, comma splices (the bane of my life), and incorrect verb tenses. Also, ensure that your writing maintains a consistent POV, tone and style. If you’re working on a novel, you might need to create a style sheet to track your choices for things like character names, settings, and terminology.

6. Use Editing Software

I don’t mean AI. But spell check is our friend. Some software goes further (Grammerly, ProWritingAid) but I always say if you are going to use these be careful to read the TOS as you want to know if that work you are uploading will be stored, used for training AI, or other undesirable usages. These programs can highlight grammatical mistakes, suggest better word choices, and help simplify complex sentences. However, while these tools are helpful, they can also be destructive. One thing that is unique about your writing is your authorial voice. You don’t need or want that removed entirely and replaced by a set of rules that make your writing sound like a robot wrote it.

7. Take Your Time

Editing is a process that requires patience, focus, and multiple rounds of revisions. Don’t be afraid to step away and come back to your manuscript several times to refine it. Each round of edits will help you get closer to the polished product you want.

8. Get Feedback

Once you’ve done your own editing, share your work with trusted beta readers, critique partners, or a professional editor. Fresh readers can point out inconsistencies, offer suggestions, and catch things you might have missed. Be open to constructive criticism—it’s an invaluable tool for improving your writing.

Conclusion

Editing takes practice, but with the right techniques and mindset, you can transform your rough draft into a polished masterpiece. By taking your time, focusing on structure, and utilizing the right tools (including good old fashioned tools like the dictionary and theasurus), you’ll sharpen your writing and bring out the best in your work. Remember, the editing process isn’t about perfection—it’s about making your writing the best it can be.

Hope the above was somewhat helpful in thinking about how to structure your editing time. How do you approach editing? As always comments welcome below!