Now that the 2018 Exeter Writers Short Story competition is open for entries , we thought we'd get you chomping at the bit with a series of blog posts around story craft. Happy reading (and writing)... Ten Ways to use ‘Find and Replace’ to Edit your Writing. By Jo Cole When I first started editing my own work, I didn’t know where to start and would often rely on my gut feeling. But the more I write, the more systematic I have become; a strict editing procedure results in writing that is stronger, cleaner and more dynamic. And for a rigorous self-editor, ‘Find and Replace’ is immensely useful. Here are my top ten ways to use it.