Editing Lessons From a Toddler

Professional readers are polite. They nod along, skim the confusing part, and blame themselves for not following. A toddler does none of this. If the story loses her, she simply leaves.

Writing for clients and reading to my daughter turn out to exercise the same muscle: the ability to notice — instantly, honestly — the exact sentence where attention dies.

What she's taught me

• Confusion is never the audience's fault. She doesn't "try harder". Neither do your customers.
• Repetition is a feature. The favourite book, read forty times, still delights. Key messages can bear repeating.
• Endings matter more than beginnings. She forgives a slow start. She never forgives a bad ending.

Motherhood isn't a gap in my CV. Some days, it's the sharpest editorial training I've had.