I found an awesome article on Writer’s Digest, by @BrianKlems
http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/the-7-deadly-sins-of-self-editing?et_mid=607208&rid=235010435
This article is a great example of ways that as a writer you can limit your potential and cause your own demise. To be honest, I found myself guilty of a couple of these. Though I will not tell you which ones.
As a writer, the hardest thing we do is to get our vision on the page, and then communicate that vision to others. But even harder sometimes is for us to take a step back from our babies, look at them clearly and do what needs to be done on the business side to help our vision become clear, concise, and fantastic.
I am only going to take snippets of the article that I found helpful and post them below. but I encourage everyone to read the entire article. The great thing about this article is after it explains the sins, it tells you what to do to fix them.
1. Greed
Many authors damn their efforts from the start with a premature focus on snagging a lucrative book deal. They submit to agents or self-publish before their work is truly ready.
2. Lust
Just as dangerous as the temptation to call your first draft “finished” can be the tendency to jump into a revision right away.
3. Gluttony
Getting carried away and stuffing in all the good ideas and beautiful word pairings you’ve got in your pantry can lead to overindulgence.
4. Pride
Thinking you don’t need feedback from others isn’t just pride—it’s pride that can squelch your potential.
5. Sloth
To draft a story—and then stop there—is to ignore the very nature of literature…
6. Envy
Creative people are notoriously insecure. You may covet one published author’s self-confident voice, or another’s way with words. Maybe it’s his humor, or her emotional honesty. If you fear your work pales in comparison, remember that those authors didn’t strike it big by mimicking others or wallowing in jealousy.
7. Wrath
It’s difficult to discover or to hear from a trusted reader that you might not yet have fully developed your work—but it’s also an important step in growing your organic talent.
It is my opinion that not only is this a great play on the seven deadly sins, but also, completely true. And the suggestions that Brian Klems offers to help reverse these sins, and to make penance for them, are straight forward, though sometimes not easy to do.
I thank him for taking the time and creativity to write these rules down, so that we can become better writers.