Editing is a different activity from writing and it follows rules that can be applied without judgement. Cutting the opening, front-loading each section, removing hedges and empty adjectives, and shortening long sentences will improve almost any first draft, and none of it requires being a writer.
Separate the two activities
Writing and editing use different attention and doing them at once produces neither well. A first draft written while editing takes three times as long and is usually more cautious.
The practical method is to write badly and quickly, then edit properly. Get the content out, then fix it, ideally not on the same day, since a gap makes your own writing readable as text rather than as intention.
Where a gap is not possible, reading it aloud achieves some of the same effect, because the ear catches what the eye skims.
Delete the opening
The single most reliable edit, and it works on almost every first draft.
Most people warm up before saying anything. The first paragraph sets the scene, the second provides context, and the third contains the point. Deleting the first two usually improves the page.
Test it by reading from the third paragraph. If nothing is missing, the first two were throat-clearing, and they were occupying the position where readers decide whether to continue.
Front-load every section
Each section should open with its point rather than building toward it.
Where a section ends with the useful sentence, move that sentence to the beginning and see whether the rest is still needed. Frequently half of it is not, because it was working toward something now already stated.
This applies to paragraphs too. A reader who stops after the first sentence of any paragraph should still have the substance of it.
The words to cut
| Cut | Because |
|---|---|
| Very, really, quite, extremely | They weaken the word they modify rather than strengthening it |
| It is worth noting that | If it were not worth noting you would not have written it |
| In order to | To |
| Quality, professional, dedicated | Every competitor claims them, so they carry no information |
| May, might, could potentially | Stacked hedges say nothing. One hedge is honest; three is evasion |
| Basically, essentially, actually | Filler, in almost every case |
Searching for those specific words and deleting each occurrence, then re-reading the sentence, improves a draft measurably in about ten minutes.
Split the long sentences
Anything over roughly twenty-five words usually contains two sentences.
The tell is a comma followed by a conjunction, or a sentence with three clauses. Splitting at that point makes both halves easier and frequently reveals that one of them was not needed.
This matters more on screen than on paper, since a long sentence on a phone spans four or five lines and the reader loses the start of it before reaching the end.
Check the structure separately
After the sentence-level work, read only the headings.
They should give the shape of the page. If they do not, or if two cover the same ground, or if a long section has no heading, that is a structural problem that no amount of sentence editing addresses.
Reordering sections is a legitimate edit and it is the one people avoid because it feels like more work. It is usually less work than trying to make a badly ordered page read well.
The final passes
- Read it aloud, which catches awkwardness nothing else does.
- Check every claim, particularly numbers, dates, and anything about how something works.
- Check the links, both that they work and that the link text says where it goes.
- Read only the first sentence of each section, which should summarise the page.
- Read it on a phone, where paragraph length and sentence length look different.
The phone check catches more than expected. A paragraph that looks reasonable on a wide screen becomes a wall at narrow width, which is what most readers will see.
What to stop doing
Two habits that make self-editing worse.
Editing while writing, which prevents finishing and produces cautious prose.
Endless polishing, which reaches diminishing returns quickly. A page that answers the question clearly and reads plainly is finished, and the fourth pass usually makes it worse rather than better.
Two passes is normally enough: one for structure and cutting, one for sentences and errors. Beyond that the effort is better spent on the next page, which is what actually builds a body of content, as covered in writing for people who skim.
Frequently asked questions
What is the single most useful edit?
Deleting the opening. Most first drafts warm up for two paragraphs before reaching the point, and starting from the third usually improves the page.
Should I edit while writing?
No. They use different attention and doing both produces neither well. Write quickly and badly, then edit separately, ideally after a gap.
Which words should I cut?
Very, really, and quite; it is worth noting that; in order to; quality and professional and dedicated; stacked hedges; and basically, essentially, and actually.
How long should sentences be?
Under about twenty-five words. Anything longer usually contains two sentences, and on a phone a long sentence spans several lines so readers lose the start before the end.
How do I check the structure?
Read only the headings. They should give the shape of the page. If two cover the same ground or a long section has no heading, that is structural and sentence editing will not fix it.
How many editing passes are enough?
Two. One for structure and cutting, one for sentences and errors. Beyond that returns diminish quickly and the effort is better spent on the next page.
West Coast Media Solutions Inc. provides web design, web development, hosting, digital marketing, and business consulting to organisations across Canada, drawing on more than twenty-five years in the field.
Drafts that never feel ready to publish?
We edit to a checklist rather than to taste, which gets pages published instead of polished indefinitely.
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