I think I'm not alone when I say that i'm not the only one who has issues with grammar. However, in writing the second installment of my story Broken Phoenix I've come to realize that I may have mistakes that I won't see by looking at it. With this being my first story I kinda feel like I have a "expectation" to uphold/Repel. By that I mean that people enjoy my story where I am now, but on the flip side with me being a rookie so to say when it comes to writing people are expecting me to screw up the story beyond repair. I have the second installment about 3/4 finished but I'm hesitant on where to go next because I don't want to make a fool out of myself by doing something that doesn't make sense. I've been reading other people's stories to give me somewhat of a spectrum as to where I want to go with my story but, trying to make my story enjoyable without making it too "obscure" is the epitome of what I'm trying to secure. If anyone is good at proofreading and would be up to helping me out I'd definitely appreciate it.
Proofreading and story obscurity
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Comments
2 things you could try
Change the background colour (e.g. white to sepia)
Change typeface (e.g. Times New Roman to Courier)
may be both
Edits And Rewrites
One technique I sometimes use is to create a new document, then copy and paste one paragraph at a time from an existing chapter. At the beginning of the paragraph press ENTER twice to give yourself some space to rewrite it, whilst keeping the original on the screen until you've finished, when you simply delete it. The new version will nearly always be a big improvement, especially if you do this after a first draft.
As for the story making sense, if you're talking about things such as continuity errors, the best approach is to read it from the POV of an imaginary critic who's never seen it before. You should also do this immediately after posting each chapter. The EDIT button is there for a reason.
Actual proofreading? Read each sentence backwards, then your brain doesn't know what to expect.
one thing that is frequently forgotten
ok, 2 things ;) spell check and grammatical check.
When both throw up an issue reread the entire sentence. I have lost count of the times heal has been used for heel, which spell check will not There are a number of other similar grammar errors with similar words that frequently occur.
Grammatical checkers also will catch extra spaces between words and some capitalization errors. rereading where it shows issues helps you catch where you yourself make these type of mistakes, so you can hopefully catch ones it misses.
Then after these have been run, someone else to proofread it before posting.
Stupidity is a capital offense. A summary not indictable.
Cute
I like the way you used the "mistakes" in your response to highlight how easy it is to miss errors. I have always asked my wife to read my papers to find my errors.
If you are using Word make sure you are also using the grammar check and not just the default spell check.
Jeri Elaine
Homonyms, synonyms, heterographs, contractions, slang, colloquialisms, clichés, spoonerisms, and plain old misspellings are the bane of writers, but the art and magic of the story is in the telling not in the spelling.
help
As a fellow rookie (1 500+ word shorty posted after yours). I solicited two authors from this site that I admire for editorial assistance. They willingly assisted and I feel improved the end product. Without their encouragement, it is doubtful I would have ever stopped second guessing myself and posted. So find someone whose writing you admire and ask them to proofread. You may even make new friends.
I expect to foul up, not you.
I expect to foul up, not you. I'm a first time writer also. but I wisely asked an experienced writer to be my editor. This is the best decision I've
made in a long time.
Let me read "Broken Phoenix" and get back to you. 8-)
Karen