Take a break before you start editing. Set your first draft aside and do something else before editing it. This will allow you to look at what you've written more objectively - as if you hadn't written it. Ask for a second opinion. Give your work to a colleague or friend whose opinion you respect. It's important that you retain the final editing choice. Edit on paper, not on screen. You can look at text on paper more objectively. Edit for clarity. That means using plain English. Edit systematically. The most efficient approach is to edit the text on three levels: paragraphs, sentences and words Trying to improve your work word by word is time-consuming and tedious.