Joys of Editing

Have you ever had the opportunity to edit some one else’s work?¹  While it might seem only to be extra work for you, it is actually a great writing exercise.  Sometimes the best practice is commenting on someone else’s work. 

For some reason, I’ve recently been asked to read and comment on a number of friends’ work.  Personal statements, blog posts, magazine articles, and a couple of other minor writings have been handed to me to look over within the last month.  And you know what, I enjoyed every minute of reading and commenting.  It was fun, challenging, and actually helped my own writing process.

Frankly, most of the items I was supposed to comment on were already near published form, but I think having someone else look over your work is a good thing to do.  Irrespective of how far along in the process you are, it allows you to bounce ideas off of other people.  It also gives you a chance to reflect on how other people react to what you have written.  Finally, it gives you the break necessary to distance yourself from publication, which in turn allows you the time necessary to rethink and rework your words.  It is very easy to quickly click publish; but, your work benefits from allowing your thoughts to ripen.

Editing other people’s work also has several benefits for those doing the editing:

1. It allows you to reflect on how other people view your “finished” products;
2. It emphasizes the importance of self-regulating your writing when no one is available to read your work;
3. It gives you practice rewriting and reworking sentences, which is something most people do not do to their own work; and finally,
4. It is favor you provide to a friend which strengthens your relationship with the other person.

Who knows, maybe in the near future you’ll need someone to look over your work.  Line up some favors now, while you have time.

One final note: You don’t have to wait for someone to ask you for help.  If you know someone is working hard writing something, offer to read it.  People might not know that you are willing to help, so let them know you are ready and willing.

Besides, editing and commenting on other people’s work should be an early-adopter habit: You get an early preview of what is coming up the pipeline and what is in the works.  There’s nothing more exciting than reading about the next big thing that has yet to happen.