My editing process:

As I was reading through this piece for the first time, I realized that there were some big changes
that needed to be made, so I sent the following text message to the author:

Hello! So I’m looking at your article, and things are looking great, but we need to make
some changes to your cat analogy. Wiseman emphasizes asking questions and not allowing
your previous notions stunt creativity. The cat analogy focuses more on learning things the
hard way, but I don’t think that’s the point of Wiseman’s talk. And it’s not something we
encourage in the church. So maybe instead of emphasizing the cat learning not to be hit by
cars, maybe we can change the analogy to reflect the cat’s use of creativity to solve
problems (escaping a dog, finding food, befriending a human, etc.) What do you think?

After the author made her changes, I proceeded to edit her article. Below is a copy of the original
article and a copy of her second draft with my edits.

Curiosity Saved the Cat

Curiosity didn’t kill the cat, it helped the cat to learn from mistakes and understand the reason
why walking in the middle of the street is probably not the best thing to do.

Asking questions is a key part of our existence. As humans we thrive on learning about the world
around us. In Liz Wiseman’s speech, The Power of Not Knowing, given at BYU, she talks about
the power of uncertainty. “When we are inexperienced at something, . . . we operate
unencumbered by knowledge, so we see more possibilities and we explore more.” Exploration
leads us to brave new paths and experience life lessons for ourselves.

Living in a state of familiarity leads to stagnation, which is honestly a bore. For example,
imagine for a moment there is a stray cat lives in a dark alley all of its life, never leaving for fear
of going outside of its comfort zone. One day it notices a road with fast-moving cars. The cat
cautiously approaches the edge of the alley and takes in its surroundings. Distracted by bright
lights and loud noises, it steps into the street. A car speeds by and almost hits the cat. Startled,
the cat jumps back and is able to realize what has happened. Curiosity didn’t kill the cat, it
helped the cat to learn from mistakes and understand the reason why walking in the middle of the
street is probably not the best thing to do. The cat is able to explore and gain more knowledge
about the world.

Wiseman says, “When we linger too long on a plateau, a little part of us dies inside. But when
we step out of the space of knowing—where we are fully capable—and step into unfamiliar
territory, we feel alive. I think it is actually where we feel divine, and, in some ways, I feel like it
is where we see God’s hand working in our lives.” Improvement is a key aspect in our lives, and
in order to improve, we must not be afraid to ask our mentors, friends, or leaders questions to
fully take advantage of our resources. Be as the curious cat and be open to not knowing what
happens next, and you’ll find that you can grow in uncertainty.
Curiosity Saved the Cat Commented [HC1]: You did a fantastic job! I like the
changes that you made. The new paragraph looks amazing!

Be as the curious cat and be open to not knowing what happens next, and you’ll find that you Because our articles are supposed to be around 250 words
long, most of my edits focus on concision and clarity.
can grow while in uncertainty.

Asking questions is a key part of our existence. As humans wWe thrive on learning about the
world around us. In Liz Wiseman’s speech, “The Power of Not Knowing,” given at BYU, she
talks about the power of uncertainty. “When we are inexperienced at something, . . . we operate
unencumbered by knowledge, so we see more possibilities and we explore more.” Exploration
leads us to helps us brave new paths and gain life experience life lessons for ourselves.

Living in a state of familiarity leads to stagnation, which is honestly a bore. For example,
imagine for a moment there is a stray cat who lives in a dark alley all of its life, neveris too
scared to leave its dark alleying for fear of going outside of its comfort zone. The alley is cold
and comfortless, and the cat’s only company is other similarly stray cats and the homeless. Bbut
the cat stays because it’s in a familiar place; what if outside the alley is worse? One day, the cat
decides to it would rather explore and survive than stay put and starve. So it ventures out of the
alley. Instead of being worse outside the alley, things are actually better! The cat comes upon a
fence, hops it, and charms a local family into adopting it. Forirst the first time in its life, the cat
has a warm bath, regular meals, a safe place to sleep, and a loving family.

Similarly, in our lives, it is only by venturing out of our comfort zones that we grow. Wiseman
says, “When we linger too long on a plateau, a little part of us dies inside. But when we…step
out of the space of knowing—where we are fully capable—and step into unfamiliar territory, we
feel alive. I think it is actually where we feel divine, and, in some ways, I feel like it is where we
see God’s hand working in our lives.” God wants us to improveImprovement is a key aspect in
our lives, and in order to improve, we must not be afraid to take advantage of our resources and
ask our mentors, friends, or leaders questions. to fully take advantage of our resources. Be as the
curious cat and be open to not knowing what happens next, and you’ll find that you can grow in
uncertainty.