You know, I think working through miscommunication is one of the best ways to communicate. :) Everything I have learned to state clearly is founded upon a pile of miscommunication! Most of what I write is edited and re-edited many times.

A good friend of mine (who loves to read my stuff) questioned me about this. He thought I should be able to express myself freely without having to edit it. He asked if I wasn't trying to manipulate my words by editing. That was a good question, and I would imagine that many edit in order to do just that. You know, add fluff and intellectual or flowery words. If anything, I do just the opposite. I edit to remove these elements.

I read my own stuff over and over (or to my wife ... or to any ear close by that is willing to be put through such torture) to determine if I am actually expressing what I really think. I can often reduce the size of my writing by half by taking out redundancies and rabbit trails etc. I know why people have a difficult time understanding each other ... and THAT is why I usually edit what I write (I don't always do this with letters).

I have learned to add smiley faces :) and haha's, etc to make up for the fact that people cannot see my face or hear my voice and may easily misread my tone. Remember Paul's comment to the Galatians:

...but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Galatians 4:20

He, too, was very aware of the difference in face-to-face versus written communication. And I have come to see added smiley faces (so to speak) in his writings.