Edit Attentively

Editing is arguably one of the most intense parts in the process of writing (beyond getting the writing itself done). That’s why it is the focus of this writing wrinkle.

One of the biggest aspects of writing that I focus on the most is creating or maintaining an author’s high level of confidence with their writing. For this reason, I feel it necessary to teach intentional editing to those I assist with writing endeavors.

What exactly is attentive editing? For starters, it is not a technical grammar concept. However, for me, it is a deeper form of editing that goes further than changing the most obvious errors or adding a sentence or two that changes the flow of the written piece — even beyond what we know as line editing or copy editing. For example, if you edit a piece of work and add a sentence that: Does not make grammatical sense Adds nothing to the structure of the paragraph Lacks a good fit for the content and context of the paper

Then, what was the point of the edit? In that case, it was not an attention-based edit. Therefore, attentive editing occurs when a writer makes a change to a word, a sentence, a paragraph, or a whole piece, but they understand why the change is necessary at the broad and detailed levels as well as how that change affects the overall work. Lastly, attentive editing is not something that can be learned overnight — it takes time to grasp the concept of paying close attention to the way we edit what we write.

Still have more questions about attentive editing? Let me know here on WordPress or visit my website, http://www.proofraed.biz, if you want me to look at some of the work you’ve written!

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