When writing a story or whatever, when one is done with the task, take some time and read it out loud back to yourself. I think it helps find errors that otherwise would have been missed, and helps eliminate misunderstandings of some phrases, sentences or words.
It helps with spelling, syntax, and punctuation as well. One big thing. Even though you might THINK you know the meaning or spelling of a word... if there is the slightest doubt, LOOK IT UP! There are dictionaries everywhere, even on the internet. GOOGLE IT!
Also... Use a new line of print when each character speaks, and don't forget the all important paragraph breaks. ALmost nothing is more frustrating when one is trying to read a story than to find it one looooong paragraph. Writers are going to make mistakes.... everyone does... no one is perfect, but by doing these simple things, you will make your story more understandable, more readable and more fun for your readers.
Catherine Linda Michel. Far from perfect but always trying to improve.
P.S. A perfect example of what I'm talking about. In this one, small post, while reading it back to myself, I found at least four mispellings and several misused or missing words. Nuff said?
Comments
Good Pointers
One other step to take.
Once you have a satisfactory draft, set it aside for about six weeks.
I know this is tough. You want to share your creation with the world, but more importantly you want your readers to enjoy it.
After six weeks you will have gained perspective. You will read your manuscript more like a reader would. You will be amazed how many errors you find and how much better your story can be written for clarity.
If you can't wait six weeks, find a beta reader to help give your story a last edit.
If you'd rather do it yourself and can't wait to post, try changing the font and/or size of your text. If you change from 12 to 14 your sentence breaks will move and you'll catch missing words.
It also helps to edit both a hard copy and on your screen. It's amazing how things change.
I use Grammarly and find it helpful.
Nothing has to be perfect and it won't be. The most important thing is to enjoy the process.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Here's a couple of pointers I found here on BCTS.
When editing your stories, print them out using a font that you don't normally use and in a larger size than you use on the screen. The reason for this is to break your recognition of the word shapes. One of my writing teachers explained this to me years ago. When we read fast or skim through our work, often we're picking up on the word shapes more than actually reading. This leads to skipping over words because you were typing slower than your mind was going and spelling errors. Which you can also do when editing. Like Angela said above, setting your work aside for six weeks (or whatever works for you), or like Catherine recommends with reading it out loud combined with this will help catch errors.
Also, keep a copy of Strunk & White's Elements of Style handy. It's a very small book and can easily be found in used book stores and the like inexpensively. It's just a wonderful little resource.
~XI
Yikes!
Strunk and White is useful as long as you don't take it as gospel. Remember, many style guides are for people writing for publication in the university press, and as such they are full of antique rules and regulations.
Usage and even the philosophy of grammar has changed since S&W was written a century ago.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Checking the story
I read the story backwards. I start with the last sentence and move back up to the top.
Melanie
Relax, have a good time, that's what it's about.
For the story content, find someone to proof read the story. she can then send you back the chapter with suggestions and fix puncuation .
When you post try to send Erin chocolates, you will make mistakes. Poor Erin, I do all the time, but with a hug, she rides in to the rescue.
If your story will have multiple chapters, write a few ahead of posting. This takes the pressure off you and your editor, makes things easier for all.
Karen