Nice. 2 things jump out at me, so I just want to amplify them:
1. I love the "switch hats" approach. I put on my editor hat and I am pretty ruthless (if I need to be) with what I've written. If it doesn't sound good to me, right now, it's gone.
2. That last bit - just get the thing revised and published - is probably among the best advice anywhere. I personally like to shoot for "A minus" level work most days. This helps a ton!
Switching hats takes away a lot of cognitive load, lets you focus on just doing one thing at a time. It's counterintuitive at first but it truly works.
It's really useful if you're running a business, too. Sometimes you have to be the person cleaning the toilets, but other times you have to be the boss.
I would add two specific suggestions. One, make a reusable revision checklist. Use an issue tracker like GitHub's, or any one you're familiar with, and make a template that matches your revision process. That way you don't have to think about your process every time, and you can refine the process over time. It helps support a routine, consistent revision process that helps you achieve a consistent level of polish in your final work.
Second, I've found a lot of benefit in doing my final reading on a different screen than what I wrote and did most of the revision work on. I *always* catch things I didn't notice earlier when I switch to a different screen. For me I usually switch from a laptop or desktop to a tablet for that final read-through, but I imagine any different screen would work.
Sounds like how I write my novels too! I blast through the entire thing in creative mode and then go back through as an editor.
Awesome! Works like a charm for me.
Nice. 2 things jump out at me, so I just want to amplify them:
1. I love the "switch hats" approach. I put on my editor hat and I am pretty ruthless (if I need to be) with what I've written. If it doesn't sound good to me, right now, it's gone.
2. That last bit - just get the thing revised and published - is probably among the best advice anywhere. I personally like to shoot for "A minus" level work most days. This helps a ton!
Switching hats takes away a lot of cognitive load, lets you focus on just doing one thing at a time. It's counterintuitive at first but it truly works.
It's really useful if you're running a business, too. Sometimes you have to be the person cleaning the toilets, but other times you have to be the boss.
I would add two specific suggestions. One, make a reusable revision checklist. Use an issue tracker like GitHub's, or any one you're familiar with, and make a template that matches your revision process. That way you don't have to think about your process every time, and you can refine the process over time. It helps support a routine, consistent revision process that helps you achieve a consistent level of polish in your final work.
Second, I've found a lot of benefit in doing my final reading on a different screen than what I wrote and did most of the revision work on. I *always* catch things I didn't notice earlier when I switch to a different screen. For me I usually switch from a laptop or desktop to a tablet for that final read-through, but I imagine any different screen would work.
Thanks Eric! Those are a couple really good suggestions. With your permission I'll update the post to add them ;)
Sure thing!