Time is the best editor.
If you have it, time is the easiest trick for self-editing. Simply put your work away long enough so when you come back to it you can see it with fresh eyes.
Saved by sari and
Time is the best editor. If you have it, time is the easiest trick for self-editing. Simply put your work away long enough so when you come back to it you can see it with fresh eyes.
The mathematical genius Alexander Grothendieck once had a metaphor for solving problems. He suggested that instead of forcing open an impossibly hard kernel with a hammer and chisel, one should simply let it sit in water and wait. Over time, the shell softens and opens with ease. This is also true in writing; time is the only non-substitutable ingr... See more
Epiphanies Come From Waiting
The revision process should begin after some time has passed, because time will do more for the revision than any amount of conscious attention given too soon. Go away from the draft for as long as you can afford to—take a vacation—and when you come back most of your work will be done for you in the back country of the islands.
Kenneth Atchity • Write Time: Guide to the Creative Process, from Vision through Revision—and Beyond
Editing is easier when you know the patterns_
When it comes to essay writing, the idea of “patterns over process,” is just as relevant.
Tootzi instilled a philosophy of “all that exists is the artifact that’s on the table.” It doesn’t matter if your ideas come from your mind, your heart, your soul, your belly button, the tops of mountains, a bottle ... See more
When it comes to essay writing, the idea of “patterns over process,” is just as relevant.
Tootzi instilled a philosophy of “all that exists is the artifact that’s on the table.” It doesn’t matter if your ideas come from your mind, your heart, your soul, your belly button, the tops of mountains, a bottle ... See more
Michael Dean • The Secret Architecture of Great Essays
Funnily enough, the only way to produce our best work is to take the requisite time away from it. It is only through a still and relaxed mind where we can think clearly and make the most of our talents and abilities.
Lawrence Yeo • The Omnipresence of Work - More To That
You can't beat time
2. Write and edit at different times.
I used to think writing and editing were the same thing – but they're different processes.
And your writing will *always* look good shortly after writing it – because you just wrote it!
So, you need to give it time to breathe.
Try this: