THE LEGAL WRITING
CORNER READ, REVISE, REPEAT: The Formula for Effective Editing and a Polished Product
By Jennifer Cook and Denitsa Mavrova Heinrich
“ The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer.” ~ Zadie Smith
We often talk about editing and polishing together, but they are two separate and distinct tasks. Editing aims to improve the content, clarity, and structure of the written product. Polishing looks to correct any spelling, grammar, punctuation, or other mistakes that can distract the reader from the essence of the writing. Both are central to the drafting process and can enhance the impact of the written product. Both require time and effort— focused and sustained effort over uninterrupted periods of time.
Editing and polishing take time because they happen in stages. While lawyers spend much of their time on writing, effective legal writers spend more than half their time on editing and polishing their work. 1 Revising requires reading the written product several times, each time with a different task in mind. When writers try to complete too many editing tasks in a single reading, they experience task overload and tend to miss needed edits. To be effective editors, lawyers should set aside enough time to read, revise, and then repeat the process.
The number of readings required to complete the editing process will depend on the editor’ s experience. Newer legal writers will need more readings to review, edit, and polish their work; more experienced writers will accomplish these tasks in fewer readings. But whatever the experience level of the editor may be, the need to read and revise the written product more than once remains. Yet time is a luxury many lawyers don’ t usually have. So how do you make the most out of the time you do have? Here are some strategies to help increase your effectiveness as an editor.
Put the writing aside and step away for a while.
It’ s tempting to just keep pushing through, especially when facing a tight deadline. But it is also difficult to maintain the focus and attention required to effectively edit your writing when you work for extended periods of time without a break. Staying too focused for too long makes it harder to spot errors. So, put the writing aside, even for a few minutes. This time away allows you to come back to the writing with a fresh perspective and a keener eye for errors.
Vary the way you read the written product.
Paper, not screen. Sometimes, changing the way you read a document can make a big difference in improving both the document’ s content and clarity. Rather than reading the text on screen, print a hard copy and get to editing the old-fashioned way, with pen and paper in hand. Editing on paper has two primary benefits. First, it is distraction-free— no calendar reminders, no email notifications, and no news alerts. Second, editing on paper demands a different reading experience. Research shows reading on paper, as opposed to on screen, increases comprehension. 2 Paper encourages linear reading, allowing readers to deeply immerse in the text and identify what changes need to be made.
Read aloud. Another effective editing strategy is to read the document aloud. If you have never tried it, you should! Reading aloud helps you hear how each word, each sentence, and each paragraph sounds. As Bryan Garner explains,“ Whenever you are writing, whether you know it or not, you are answering a question: what do you sound like?” 3 What does your writing sound like? If a phrase or sentence sounds like something you would never say, go back and fix it. Because everything you write should be speakable. 4 Or, as Judge Kapelky put it, because good legal writers“ write with [ their ] ear.” 5
Have it read to you. A related option is to have someone else read your writing to you. No human takers? No problem. Ask Microsoft Word to do it by using the“ Read Aloud” function. 6 Hearing your words spoken by an unfamiliar voice can help you catch words, phrases, or sentences that don’ t“ sound right,” even if they may be technically and grammatically correct. Listening to how someone else reads your words can also help you fix the flow and readability of your writing.
Edit in stages.
Jennifer Cook and Denitsa Mavrova Heinrich are faculty members at the University of North Dakota School of Law.
Edit for content. Review each argument for clarity, comprehension, and completeness. Consider who your audience is and what that audience needs to know to understand your arguments. Check to ensure your arguments are clear, logical, and internally consistent.
24 THE GAVEL