Writing to be edited

In my Write to be read entry, I expressed my need for a good editor with the writing of this blog. Graphic design author Steven Heller shares the sentiment in an Émigré Magazine interview (1994): “I also rely on good editors to make me look good; to clean up my messes, as it were.” It’s a good rush to hand a piece of writing over to one who can make it better in composition. There is the more polished effect that results from the editing process, but what’s ultimately enhanced is the voice—contributing to it without losing it. A good editor helps you to sound more like yourself.

My need for a good editor doesn’t mean it’s a requirement. It could also be construed that I lack confidence in my writing, but in fact the opposite is true: A good editor motivates and marinates good writing and vice versa, one entry at a time.