How to Self-Edit When You’ve Got No Time and No Editor
Also known as: quietly panicking over your laptop while your tea goes cold
Let’s be honest. You’ve had four cups of tea and half a biscuit, and you’re looking at a document that seems to have been written during a minor breakdown. But the deadline is looming.
Here’s the emergency plan:
1. Read it aloud as if you were auditioning for a radio theatre production on BBC Radio.
When you hear your voice, it’s easier to identify and solve problems. If something sounds strange, it probably is. Trust your instincts.
2. Hunt down word repetition like Sherlock Holmes.
We all have repetitive words: ‘quite’, ‘actually’, ‘just’. Delete them. Find alternatives or simply don’t use them. Unless you have a specific reason to repeat it.
3. If a Word Feels Off, It Probably Is
You know that one sentence? The one you can’t stop rereading? Yes. That one. Be brave. You can say goodbye. Don’t cry. If you want, you can go to the train station to say goodbye and make a sandwich for them to eat on the way.
4. Sorry, Wrong Party
Sometimes a line can be clever or even glamorous, but it doesn’t belong. Like your ex at your wedding, for example. It might shine, but not here. Save it for another piece.
5. Cut at least 10%
Doesn’t matter how witty it is. You have to say goodbye to some sentences. You’ll thank yourself later when people don’t fall asleep halfway through your anecdote about grief and life.
In Short:
- You’re done. Or close enough. Hit submit, blame the full moon, and go make toast. If it’s bad, start over.
