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3 Self-Editing Tips to Trick Your Mind

5 min readAug 10, 2025

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3 Self-Editing Tips to Trick Your Mind

Writing is a creative process, but self-editing can be one of the most challenging parts. After spending a significant amount of time on a piece, your brain may start to overlook errors, repetitive phrases, or inconsistencies.

This phenomenon is much like noticing a crack in the wall; at first, it stands out glaringly, but over time, your mind becomes accustomed to it, and the imperfection seems to fade into the background.

To combat this issue and sharpen your editing skills, here are three self-editing tips designed to trick your mind and improve your ability to see your writing with fresh eyes.

1. Let Your Writing Project Sit a While

One of the most effective techniques for improving your self-editing process is to step away from your work for a while. Take a few days and focus on something else. Giving yourself a break allows your brain to reset. When you return to your writing after a period of time, you approach it with a fresh perspective. The work looks new, and your mind is keen to detect areas needing…

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Michael Stover
Michael Stover

Written by Michael Stover

Author, talented writer, and exacting editor. Learn more at http://michaeldstover.com. Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/michaeldstover

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