My recent experience with this column illustrates another reason to seek outside input. I submitted a piece on volunteering a few months ago. Unfortunately, the piece contained a glaring logical inconsistency, which one of the readers rightly called me on in the September-October issue. I had actually noticed the inconsistency a few weeks after submitting the column, but it was too late for revision. There is no One Right Way to begin a paragraph, research topics, organize material, or edit papers.
Some writers only define their objectives after they begin writing a piece.
Like me, they use writing to clarify thinking and discover their themes. Others work from detailed outlines with all content defined in advance. Some authors edit for content and mechanics at the same time. Others worry about content first and address mechanics later. Many famous authors dictate everything and leave the transcription and punctuation to someone else.