Self-Editing as a Writer: A Lesson in Humility
Editing your own writing can be humbling but also offers plenty of humor.
Self-editing is part of any writing job. Sure, an editor reviews my work before it’s published. But I still read through every piece of content I write before it goes to the editor, ensuring it’s as polished as possible. The typos I sometimes discover, especially in my fiction writing, range from cringe-worth (a their versus they’re slip-up, for example) to downright hilarious.
Here are three recent typos that gave me a giggle:
What I wrote: “He hung up his head…”
What I meant to write: “He hung up his hat…”
(Sure, maybe the original works in some kind of Zombie apocalypse book? In this case, I was writing a romcom).
What I wrote: “There are only so many days in a day.”
What I meant to write: “There are only so many hours in a day.”
(Okay, technically the first version isn’t incorrect, but… Not quite what I was going for).
What I wrote: “He ordered a bee…”
What I meant to write: “He ordered a beer…”
(Sigh).
Long story short: Self-editing is definitely necessary — and it’s definitely a lesson in humility! I always love to hear about other people’s silly typos, so feel free to share if you’ve got some of your own. And cut yourself some slack when those typos appear. Remember: “To err is human, to forgive divine” (Alexander Pope).
Thank you for reading! This is a space where I share personal thoughts — an opportunity for self-expression that has nothing to do with my professional writing. None of the thoughts or opinions expressed in this blog should be construed as anything but my own, nor should they be affiliated with any company or person I contract with or write for.
NOW that that’s done… I’d love to hear from you about this blog post in the comments! You can also connect via my blog: https://www.ask-communications.com/blog
