The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say.
Mark Twain’s Notebook, 1902-1903
The writing part doesn’t have to be as hard as some people think, at least it doesn’t if you write in a way that comes naturally to you. Adopt a conversational style and things tend to go smoothly. Write like a Connecticut State Trooper and you’ll end up doubled over with cramps.
Famed French author, Gustave Flaubert is said to have written only 10 sentences a day. He reworked each sentence several times, always in search of le mot juste, “the right word.” The result was Madame Bovary, considered by many literature experts to be one of the finest novels ever.
It would be ideal if I had someone else edit my work. However, if you fly solo like I do, then you can’t afford to have someone else do it. Besides, really good editors are precious. If you’re so fortunate to find an editor whom you can trust, remember him or her with a box of hand-rolled cigars and a single-malt scotch come birthday time. (For my birthday, I buy myself a box of Arturo Fuente Double Chateaus, a bottle of Glenlivet and a box of chocolates.)
I may go through the same piece of copy 5 to 10 times before I let it go. I’m never happy, but the next deadline doesn’t care all that much how I feel. When I look at what I’ve written for too long, my mind meanders and I tend to overlook broken things I would have otherwise fixed.
When time allows, the first thing I’ll do after writing a piece is to put it away and look at the next day. I seldom have the luxury to do that but if I can walk away for at least a couple of hours and come back at it with fresh eyes, my writing is better for it.
Here’s what I think I know about editing:
I’ll rewrite sentences to make the point more clear, divide long sentences in two, strip out unnecessary words–whatever it takes to get the reader from one side of the column to the other as quickly as possible.
I believe in the “one idea per sentence, one idea per paragraph” rule. I won’t connect two independent clauses with a comma. I’ll make two sentences instead.
I put nearly every sentence into the active voice. I’m not opposed to using the passive voice, however. Sometimes the passive voice can express a thought in a more interesting way or can be more emphatic.
I like to keep my paragraphs short–maybe three or four sentences. It makes it easier for the reader to get the point and it gives the page more white space, which is more inviting.
If I have three or more closely related ideas in a paragraph, I’ll put them into a bulleted or numbered list. I make sure items in lists are parallel: It’s hiking, biking, swimming; not hiking, biking and swim. When I write lists, if one of the items is a complete sentence then it, and the rest of the items in the list, ends with a period–even those that are not complete sentences. If none of the items is a complete sentence, none ends with a period.
I check to see if the topic sentence (the paragraph’s main point) is at or near the beginning of the paragraph.
I believe you can over do punctuation
I probably average 10-12 words per sentence. I like to vary the length of sentences to create a comfortable rhythm for the reader. If the sentences are too short, the copy will be choppy. If the sentences are too long, the reader will bail out.
It also matters to me how my sentences look on a page. A mix of long and short sentences just looks better–and it helps speed the reader along. See that dash back there? That’s another way I try to keep the reader moving.
I’ll knock out as many commas as I can get away with–as long as it doesn’t confuse the reader. I won’t use the “serial” or “series” comma for example. That’s the comma you would put before “and” when writing something like: “Doreen likes hiking, biking and swimming.”
I believe you can overdo punctuation if you follow the rules too closely.
I like to smash silly redundant silly things
I kill every useless word. “In order to,” becomes “to.” “Refer back,” becomes “refer.” “Close proximity,” becomes “proximity.”
I’m not big on using lots of adjectives and adverbs. If you think that’s wrong, go read something written by Elmore Leonard. He knows more about writing than either one of us.
I hate cutting out big chunks of copy but I do it all the time. There’s no piece of copy that can’t benefit from a whack with a cleaver.
For informal writing, I use contractions. I write in the present tense most of the time because it conveys a sense of urgency and immediacy.
I’m not afraid to break my own rules. If I were, I wouldn’t be here.
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