06. Intuitive Editing Tips: Create Your Unique Voice One Word at a Time

Editing with the Waning Moon: Practical Tips for Writers

Some writers prefer editing to writing from scratch because they dread a blank page with a blinking cursor. They'd much rather begin with a batch of words than start from scratch.

Others find writing effortless, but when it comes to refining, they hesitate to dive in, spend hours trying to perfect every sentence, or maybe even start over before eventually giving up.

In this How Women Write Podcast episode, I dive into the process of intuitive editing, sharing my advice and strategies to make this occasionally challenging part of the writing process much more manageable.

I specifically recorded this episode during the waning phase of the moon because this is the best time to focus on editing (or if you have a menstrual cycle, try editing during your luteal phase). If you experiment with editing during this phase, you might notice a difference in your energy levels and focus compared to other times of the month.

Here's what you'll discover in this packed episode all about practical editing:

• Advice for getting past the anxiety often associated with editing, especially if you've had negative experiences with a writing teacher in the past.

• Editing is a skill that’s completely different from writing and requires a different energy, so we approach it with a separate mindset.

• The importance of letting your words rest: Before editing, give your first draft some time to sit. I recommend a week or more, but give it at least an hour.

• How to approach your edits in layers: Start with a quick and light edit and tweak the obvious stuff, like typos and punctuation, and then move to more significant modifications, like adding personality, feelings, and a consistent tone.

• How to bring an intuitive and lighthearted energy to the editing process to match the energy of the SFD (surrendered first draft).

• Understanding that editing is the act of creating and refining your authentic voice. Your unique voice is already in there. You're simply adding layers of depth and clarity.

• Practical editing and proofreading tips to help you become your own best editor

• A powerful prompt to help you know what your writing needs before you finalize and publish

Intuitive editing will help you unlearn rigid writing habits from school and corporate environments. Plus, you'll be able to break down the editing process into manageable layers.

I'm so excited for you to take these tips and strategies to give you the confidence to get your drafts out there.

Links:

• 03. The Surrendered First Draft Is the Key to Your Authentic Writing Voice

• 02: Co-Creating with Nature's Rhythms: Writing with the Moon

• NaNoWriMo alternative

• Intuitive Writing: The Remedy for Writer’s Block and the Secret to Authentic Communication

• Power Thesaurus

• Grammarly

• ProWritingAid

Timestamps:

00:00 How Women Write Podcast Introductions

00:07 Writing with Nature's Rhythms

00:55 The Energetic Qualities of the Moon Phases

02:11 Editing Tips and Techniques

02:30 Overcoming the Fear of Editing

05:09 Unlearning Academic & Corporate Writing Habits

07:45 The Surrendered First Draft (SFD)

10:03 Common Editing Challenges

12:24 Getting Past the Fear of Publishing

20:21 Practical Editing Tips

24:03 Making Your Writing Approachable & Conversational

25:20 Embracing Intuitive Editing

28:49 Layered Editing Techniques

32:25 Practical Editing Tips

39:58 Final Editing Checklist

44:02 Conclusion and Encouragement