Nicole Bianchi

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5 Reasons Why You Have to Stop Editing Your Writing

Published March 17, 2016 | Last Updated May 21, 2020 By Nicole Bianchi 24 Comments

hand resting on computer keyboard

Ever hesitate when you’re about to hit publish on your latest blog post?

You’re sure you should give it one more read through.

Maybe you’ve missed a typo. Maybe you’ve misquoted someone. The wording in that third paragraph still doesn’t seem quite right.

Here’s what you need to do. Stop overthinking and just hit publish.

Yes, I hate typos just as much as the next person. And I used to complain about grammatical errors and typos showing up more and more on professional websites.

But now that I’ve been writing a lot of online content and have to get it up by strict deadlines, I’ve come to a different realization.

These types of errors are inevitable.

And while editing once or twice is fine, over-editing eventually becomes a monster that destroys both your productivity and your writing.

Here’s why:

1. Over-editing prevents you from improving as a writer.

Everyone starts at the bottom and then gradually gets better with practice. Our first work will never be our best work because we are always improving. But there are only so many hours in a day, only so many hours in our lives. Obsessing over editing your piece is taking away valuable hours that could be spent on practicing your craft.

2. Over-editing breeds a mindset that your writing has to be perfect.

Perfect is impossible. We are human. The wonderful thing in today’s Internet age is that nearly everything can be edited even after it is published, from blog posts to Facebook comments to Kindle books. Think of your writing as in the testing stages once published rather than an un-editable final copy.

3. Over-editing leads to writer’s block.

When you think your writing has to be perfect, you can end up rewriting sentences or paragraphs for hours. Eventually, you might end up getting completely stuck, unsure of the correct wording and bewildered with how to move forward.

In these situations, you might have to put your writing aside and move on to another project or ask a friend for help. A new set of eyes can help you overcome your perfectionism.

4. Over-editing will destroy your unique voice.

When you edit your piece too many times, you can end up editing the very soul out of it. A conversational style of writing is valued more than ever today. It helps you connect with your readers. If your writing sounds too stiff and formal, it can alienate your readers. Let your personality come through.

5. Over-editing will prevent you from helping others.

Your writing doesn’t have to be 100% perfect in order to help and inspire someone. When you hesitate to hit publish, however, it means that your writing cannot help anyone. Instead of stressing out over grammatical perfection, consider instead whether your writing is valuable. Have you worked passionately to create a piece of writing that will help others?

The Takeaway

When you find yourself over-editing, stop and think about why you are afraid to hit publish. Are there really major errors in this piece of writing? Are you just overthinking things? Are you being a perfectionist?

If you continue to struggle with over-editing, set deadlines for yourself and make sure to meet them.

Don’t let over-editing sabotage your productivity and hold you back from sharing your writing with the world. As New York Times Bestselling author Jon Acuff writes, “90 percent perfect and shared with the world always changes more lives than 100 percent perfect and stuck in your head.”

What methods will you take to stop yourself from over-editing? If you found this post helpful, be sure to leave a comment and share with someone you would like to inspire.

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Filed Under: motivation, productivity, writing

Comments

  1. NILANJANA HALDAR says

    February 25, 2019 at 5:21 am

    Thank you so much for this blog. I so so so so massively needed it. You are truly a saviour. Very grateful to you. Thank you

    Reply
  2. Aram Boyd says

    May 6, 2016 at 2:22 am

    Damn, wish I found this yesterday. Just spent 4 hours over-editing a blog post. Thanks for the wisdom, Nicole.

    Aram

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      May 9, 2016 at 12:16 am

      It can be so hard restraining yourself from over-editing. I know I’m guilty of that. Hope this post helps you! Thanks for commenting, Aram!

      Reply
  3. Cynthia P. says

    March 27, 2016 at 5:04 am

    Hi Nicole, a great post as usual. The only writing I do at the moment is for Instagram posts. I know when I was at university I would obsess over my essays too much, so I can relate to this problem. Funnily enough discussing books on IG has led me to want to write more! So I just have to figure out how to incorporate more writing into my life. Maybe I need my own blog, although I have no idea how to do that! Thanks for your post.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 29, 2016 at 11:26 am

      Hi, Cynthia! Thank you so much. 🙂 I am glad to hear you enjoyed it.

      I love how Instagram can be like a mini-blog. I definitely write a lot there too, working on captions and responding to comments. 🙂 And, yes, you should definitely start a blog! I’d love to read it. Your book reviews are always so interesting on Instagram. If you’d like to, you can set up a free blog on WordPress.com. If you need help, let me know. 🙂 This has given me the idea that I should write a blog post explaining how to set up a blog. 😀

      Reply
  4. Dolores says

    March 21, 2016 at 10:55 am

    Right on point Nicole. To me, editing is a nightmare. I write in Spanish and English and it can get pretty ugly. I know I won’t be able to edit my own work. Sometimes though one can get obsessive with getting it perfect. I know because it happens to me. I find it useful to have someone else read it aside from the editor. Have a beautiful week!
    Dolores

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 21, 2016 at 3:41 pm

      Hi, Dolores! 🙂 Thanks so much for commenting! Completely sympathize with you. When I write in Spanish or Italian, the editing process really is a nightmare too because they’re not my native languages. I’m never sure if I’m coming across well. I think having someone else read one’s work really speeds up the editing process. And the more people the better. It’s always wonderful to get other people’s opinions. Thanks again for reading! 😀

      Reply
  5. Brenda says

    March 21, 2016 at 10:00 am

    Great post and much needed. I am so of this mind set – it isn’t ready, not good enough etc. etc. I finally just let it go and published a novel on Smashword last month. It is truly freeing and now I am onto the next project. Just found you today on Blogging Boost so excited!

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 21, 2016 at 3:33 pm

      Hi, Brenda! Thanks for your comment! So nice to meet you. 🙂 Congrats on publishing a novel on Smashwords! It is so true — it is such a freeing experience when we go ahead and hit publish. Looking forward to reading your blog. Going to hop over there now. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Jamie Burns says

    March 20, 2016 at 6:26 pm

    I’m very guilty of over editing! Thanks for the post it was just what I needed right now!

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 20, 2016 at 8:24 pm

      Hi, Jamie! Thanks for your comment. So glad to hear the post helped you. 😀

      Reply
  7. Ellen Read says

    March 19, 2016 at 9:34 pm

    Great article, Nicole. I’m editing at present and it’s so difficult. I did two edits and then I asked someone to read it for me. They picked up typos, which is helpful but they loved the book. I am now going to just fix the typos and look at a couple of other things they found and then that will be it.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 20, 2016 at 8:22 pm

      Hi, Ellen! Thanks so much for your comment. Yes, the entire editing process for a novel can be so tricky. How wonderful that your novel is almost finished. All the best with the publishing!

      Reply
      • Ellen Read says

        April 3, 2016 at 11:47 pm

        Thank you, Nicole.

        Reply
  8. Asrai Devin says

    March 17, 2016 at 2:42 pm

    YES!! Especially number 3 for me. I get stuck because I want what I say to be perfect. Which is why I’m still not done my latest book. There were some necessary edits that needed to be done, but perfectionism definitely made me stop writing a few times.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 18, 2016 at 1:25 am

      Hi, Asrai! I completely sympathize with you. I am currently working on my first novel (still in the plotting stages), and I’m running into perfectionism even now over character sketches, and I haven’t even started the first draft. It’s crazy, haha. So I’m setting deadlines for myself and will be moving on even if I don’t feel like everything is one hundred percent perfect (because really it never will be). All the best with your latest book! 😀

      Reply
  9. marlane says

    March 17, 2016 at 11:55 am

    Nicole, thank you so much! I am doing that exact thing editing my 101BLESSINGS book. I’m on my 3rd edit & still changing and changing back again. This is my 1st book of this kind. It’s very personal. I am used to fiction & children’s stories,. This one hasn’t an ending of course, I’m still on my journey of life but if I don’t let it go…even today…to the publisher, I’ll be doing this for 2 more weeks…plus I’ve gotten behind on my blog challenge. You Rock, young Lady! My blessing for today! Lane

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 18, 2016 at 1:21 am

      Hi, Marlane! Thanks for your comment! Yes, book edits can be so difficult. It’s hard to know when to stop. When that happens, I love having someone else look it over for me. If they think the book is fine, then it’s time to let it go. All the best with your book! 😀 It sounds like an exciting project.

      Reply
  10. Manaal says

    March 17, 2016 at 11:55 am

    Oh my! This is something I really needed in my life. I want to write on so many things and as a writer and blogger I have so many blog post ready to be edited but it takes so much outta me. Time wise and mentally which kills my productivity! Thank you for this. now I have to start tomorrow with a new mind set. I cannot thank you enough.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 18, 2016 at 1:11 am

      Hi, Manaal! It’s so true. Writing can be so exhausting, and I find that editing sucks the energy out of me most of all. If I spend too much time editing a piece, I just get completely sick of it and want to move on.

      Thanks for taking the time to comment! I am so glad this post was helpful to you, and I hope you are able to tackle all of those pieces of writing with new enthusiasm. 😀

      Reply
  11. Brittany Gnizak says

    March 17, 2016 at 11:54 am

    I came to this same point shortly after starting my blog. I am by nature an “over editor”. I finally had to tell myself JUST DO IT. So this really resonated with me. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 18, 2016 at 1:07 am

      Hi, Brittany! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! 🙂 I am so happy to hear this resonated with you. This is one of my biggest struggles too, but the more and more I publish content online, the easier it is to just write and hit publish without worrying that every line is 100% perfect. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!

      Reply
  12. Chaz says

    March 17, 2016 at 11:53 am

    How I needed to hear this, because I’m of the same mind. I reckon editing is important, like washing in the morning and making oneself presentable. But those of us with a mind of our own dress to suit our personality, character and mood of the day and much like writing, if we dressed in pretence, we’d be seen through.

    If it’s worth writing about, getting the message across becomes the important factor, editing just an essential irk to preserving our credibility and intended context. I use Grammerly, but even that wants me to change things I am not going to change. I’ve signed up.

    Reply
    • Nicole Bianchi says

      March 18, 2016 at 12:58 am

      Hi, Chaz! Thanks for your comment! Love your analogy. It’s so true. When we edit, we should really only be concerned with making our message as clear as possible. Once that’s done, it’s time to publish.

      I don’t have Grammerly, but I’ve been interested in trying it out. Would you recommend it? It seems a tool like that would make the editing process much more efficient.

      Thanks so much for subscribing! Hope you enjoy the eBook, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on upcoming posts. 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I’m Nicole! I help creatives, business owners, and writers take their writing and copywriting to the next level and grow their online audience. I’m also a published writer of essays and short stories. As a Christian, I seek to follow in the tradition of artists like Johann Sebastian Bach, dedicating all my work Soli Deo gloria.
Find out more about me here.
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“My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.”
– Psalm 45:1

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