Most of us have heard the phrase physician, heal thyself. When it comes to editing and writing, people will say, “Work on your own book, get good at your own work, then worry about other people.”
I disagree.
Editing other people’s books, short stories, poems—anything—is incredibly useful for any aspiring writer. It gives us so much in return. When we read other people’s work, we feel like masters of the craft. Our confidence might soar because we know exactly why this works, and exactly why it doesn’t. That feeling can even revitalize us to go do the same in our own work. But there’s more to it than that.
That same feeling can make you notice the exact same errors in your own writing. Too many prepositions in the piece you just edited for your friend? Now you know to look for it in your own writing, and next time you sit down, you’ll start noticing a lot more of, at, in, on, etc.
Did you notice that seven out of the last dozen short stories you edited used the same plot device, and it didn’t work for you? Maybe it doesn’t work for other people either. Maybe you borrowed a piece of it for your own book and need to correct it, or maybe you file it away for “use rarely.” After all, nothing is ever wrong all the time.
Edit the works of other writers at your level, edit the works of writers who are perhaps earlier in the writing process than you, and finally, edit the works of people who are further along the journey than you are. When you’re trying to carefully pull apart those kinds of works and can’t find anything, that can be a lesson in itself. You can even try editing published, famous works of the past to see if they could have been better by modern standards, or to realize they weren’t perfect—because nobody is.
One example comes to mind every time I hear other famous authors talk about J.K. Rowling. Many make declarative statements about the writing issues in the Harry Potter series. Some people say they’re just jealous, and maybe a little green-eyed monster lurks. But the reality is, even one of our greatest authors of modern times is not perfect.
Finally, editing other people’s work brings you a community.
I’m introverted by nature, and working with others is hard for me. Having other people take my pieces of art and rip them apart is difficult. But every author needs a community, because someone needs to help us take the blinders off—just as we need to help take the blinders off them. If you haven’t already, find a writer’s group, edit, and be edited.
Most importantly, never stop writing.
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