Take A Knife To What You Write If You Want To Better Influence & Lead

*I tried to give you all of my words at the start / But there's someone who's torn them apart / And she's taking almost all that I've got / But if you want, I'll try to write again /

… Baby I'll try to write again but I know / The worst cut is the deepest, baby I know / The worst cut is the deepest…

It doesn't have to be so.

I've got the remedy to stop the bleeding on the page after the editor or proofreader has ripped your writing apart. But let's say you don't have access to an editor. You still want to avoid embarrassing yourself by submitting poorly written prose. Knowing how to edit your work (where you will take a dagger to your waffle or poor thinking) will help you deliver a polished piece of writing. And you want to write skillfully not just because this makes for an enjoyable read but because you desire to influence, inspire or educate your audience in some way.

"Like a samurai with an empty mind who cuts his opponents in half, be willing to not be sentimental about your writing when you reread it." Natalie Goldberg

Natalie Goldberg's words shadow me as I write. I will edit an article or post up to seven or more times, cutting, culling and finessing so that by the time, Dear Reader, your eyeballs land on it, it should be an easy read. But, it shouldn't be a simple read because I hope some of the things I discuss make you think more deeply about the art and science of communication. Or, what I talk about motivates you to learn more about communication because, like me, you want to get better at it.

As professionals, most of us spend a lot of time writing whether brainstorming ideas on a whiteboard, crafting emails to prospective customers, clients, staff or management, putting together capability statements inside a PowerPoint or responding to tenders and RFPs. And because our audience is overwhelmed by never-ending stimuli and information, we must be clear. Being clear takes effort. And the effort isn't in the writing act-- it's in the refining of our words.

Good writing happens at the editing stage.

But how to edit?

Here is a process to take your writing to the next level of excellence.

The Five-Step Editing Process

1. Set aside your written piece for minutes, hours or days – the longer, the better. When you're the writer, you don't always pick up on weak logic, superficial analysis or unconnected and disconnected ideas that are noticeable when reading someone else's words.

2. Read your work out loud. This will help you pick up on awkward sentence construction, spelling, and grammar mistakes. Reading aloud is also another opportunity to tighten your narrative structure and flow, especially for longer pieces of writing.

3. Read from a printout. I proofread my work on the screen, but at some point, I read a printed version. There is something about reviewing on paper that helps spot previously hidden writing blunders.

4. Make a list of your unique errors and check for them. We all have writing quirks that can trip us up in communicating well. Pay special attention to yours when editing. Correcting your repeat offenders will help you stop making them over again and will improve your writing overall.

5. Run spellcheck when you finish your written piece. Why? Well, the editing process gets us rewriting stuff. So spellcheck again or keep your AI grammar tool open until the end before you hit send or publish your piece.

Benefits When You Respect The Editing Process

• You will more easily shed light on complex ideas
• Your writing will be crisper
• You will cut reading time in half
• You will be more believable
• You will be more respected and liked

Editing isn't complicated, but it takes time and effort. It's well worth it as it will make you a more confident thinker, a more brilliant wordsmith and a more eloquent communicator.

And if you're lucky enough to have access to an editor, they won't have to paint over your masterpiece with a sea of red. Hopefully, they'll only make a few tiny cuts here and there. It won't hurt as much or make your heart bleed out. :-)

Attribution: The opening paragraph is a take on Cat Steven’s song, The First Cut is the Deepest. Written in 1967, it has been a hit single for multiple artists like Cheryl Crow and Rod Stewart.

If you found the above ideas and tips helpful, see related articles:

• Crimes Against The English Language No More
• Brutal Simplicity Of Thought

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This article was originally published on the now-retired relatable.IT blog.

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