mtrancher,
That tendency is reduced the longer we go without re-reading the same stuff--one excellent reason for letting writing sit for days or even weeks before looking at it again.
Obviously, none of us can self-edit perfectly. As one of my editors (at a "really big magazine") once said, "Every writer needs an editor, even editors who write." But the better any professional writer can self-edit, the more stuff the writer will sell, because editors won't have to dink around with the copy very much. This lightens their work-load!
I grew up among writers and writing teachers, and saw how many were semi-frustrated writers. Eventually I realized most weren't good self-editors. As a result, I never wanted to be a teacher, but eventually started teaching a local adult writing class--not because it made significant money, but because it boosted my interest in the craft of writing.
Eileen was always a good teacher, so we co-teach the course--and the main point is always self-editing and rewriting. Ain't none of us good enough to write perfect copy on the first draft. But we can try!
