The research was fine, the writing was exciting, and the editing was overwhelming. If this is the current state of your essay, then you are not the only one. It is not only overwhelming, but it is also exhausting. Not the editing in general but the constant self-criticism.
Why does it so happen that excerpts, and lines which looked perfect when written, suddenly sound utterly amateurish when edited?
Probably you are not looking at the matter correctly. There is an art to editing, and if you want a smooth editing and proofreading process, then keep reading. In this excerpt below, we will discuss the problem and the solution for your essay editing.
Why You Get Overwhelmed While Editing
To answer the question asked above by almost every student, here is why we get overwhelmed when editing something.
- We are never satisfied with our writing because of the unnecessary perfectionist in us.
- Writing is inadequate, and writing skills are not your forte. In such a case, you must cultivate more time sharpening it, and for the time being, ask help from the experts of a credible essay writing service. Click here https://www.ivoryresearch.com/essay-writing-services/ to find more.
- You are editing while you are writing.
- Not taking someone else’s opinion can put all the pressure on you. Maybe your essay is all right, but from your perspective, it is mediocre.
How To Prevent That
Here is how you can prevent yourself from getting exhausted and overwhelmed during your essay editing process.
1. Start Early With Editing
Essentially editing is the last process of essay writing. However, that doesn’t mean you will leave it for the day before your submission.
Generally, this leads to anxiety as you often find the amount you have to check, correct, and omit. Even if it’s a 1000-word essay, sometimes editing takes more time than writing itself. Because when you are writing, you are not conscious of grammar or spelling mistakes, to say the least. Starting early is the formula for you not to get overwhelmed.
2. Do Not Edit While Writing
If you are editing while writing, here is what you are doing:
Multitasking with no end goal. The constant task shifting is not allowing you to retain focus on either of the tasks. Eventually, failing in both of them.
Therefore, make it a rule to finish the essay first before you get into the editing portion.
3. Do Not Right After Finishing The Essay
You have to let the writing marinate, which is what novelists call this time. This means mentally creating a distance between you and the writing, so you forget some of it. When you edit, while what you wrote is still fresh in your mind, these two things are bound to happen.
- You will overestimate yourself and not find any errors.
- Or underestimate yourself, and find errors in every line. This will lead to the thought of doing it all over again.
4. Divide The Task
Coming back to the reason why we essentially asked you to start early. You will have more time on your hands and be able to properly divide the work for each hour.
The overwhelming generally comes when you are editing all at once.
5. Do Not Proofread & Edit At Once
Another proven way to stop yourself in terms of getting editing overwhelmed is not getting all the editing elements in one go.
Start with spelling and punctuation. Something simple, and once you are done with that, start reading the essay thoroughly.
No Editing Is Enough Editing!
If you are a perfectionist, no amount of editing will be enough for your taste. But, sometimes, you have to let other factors decide the quality of your essays.
– Let the marks decide, and then speak to your teacher regarding improvements.
– Make someone else read the right, someone’s expert advice you would respect.
Do not start correcting every line because then editing will remain a never-ending process.