The Snapshot

The Problem: Editing feels like an overwhelming, tangled mess where you try to fix the grammar, the tone, and the structure all at the same time.

The Fix: The Three Layer Technique — A sequential approach to editing that separates big-picture thinking from fine-tuning.

The Result: Professional, high-impact writing that is polished without the ‘editing fatigue.’

The Insight

The reason editing feels so draining is that we try to do too much at once. We attempt to fix a weak argument while simultaneously worrying about a misplaced comma. Your brain isn't built to switch between ‘Architect mode’ and ‘Janitor mode’ that quickly. By separating your edit into three distinct passes, you ensure that the big ideas are solid before you spend any energy on the small stuff.

The Method: The Three-Layer Technique

1. The Structural Layer (The Architect)

In the first pass, ignore the individual words and look only at the skeleton. Does the logic flow from one point to the next? Does the conclusion actually deliver on the promise you made in the headline? If the bones of the piece are broken, no amount of pretty adjectives will save it. If a paragraph doesn't serve the primary goal, cut it now before you waste time polishing it.

2. The Stylistic Layer (The Stylist)

Now that the structure is solid, focus on the voice. This is where you remove the fluff, kill the passive voice, and punch up your verbs. Read the piece out loud—if you stumble over a sentence, it’s too long. This is the layer where you make sure the piece sounds like a human being and not a corporate brochure.

3. The Mechanical Layer (The Janitor)

Only now do you look for the typos, grammar slips, and formatting errors. Because you’ve already handled the "thinking" parts of the edit, you can focus entirely on the "cleaning" part. This is the only phase where you should worry about punctuation or spelling. (Note: This is the perfect place to use AI as an assistant—ask it to "scan for typos and grammatical errors only.")