Are You Filtering Your Writing?

Today’s post comes courtesy of the lovely and talented Cathleen Townsend, who offers some insight into what she sees when she wears her critique-ing hat. Take it away, Cathleen!

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Allison suggested a guest post on critiquing, and I’ve actually been thinking about it for some time. I could simply give you a checklist, but there are many already out there. I’ve posted my favorite here:

So what are filters and why should you care?

I look at filters as a necessary evil.

I just used a filter. I could write the first sentence of the last paragraph like this: Filters are a necessary evil. Most of the same information would have been imparted.

But I also wanted to communicate a certain level of uncertainty. An acknowledgement that we are in the territory of art and opinion, not solid fact, like how to use a comma. I did that by…