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I've posted all three of my stories here right after writing them and then found errors after they were posted. I also know that I usually do a better job of editing and proofreading if I let something sit for a couple of weeks to get more distance from it. Are you seeing clumsy wording, missing words or other flaws consistently in the stories? I'm thinking of keeping any new stuff for awhile before posting. I'm asking for criticism here and I won't be offended by anything you say (well maybe if you get crude about it). I already know that I should have done more research first on the Trojan war stories. I know I got some names and relationships wrong in An Achean Tale. I'd like to hear any other suggestions.
Comments
Do what suits you best
Do you feel more comfortable letting the story rise/digest/mature or whatever one can call it do that.
When there are things that can be checked it might be a good idea to check that first. Having said that most people here don't care that much (or don't have the relevant knowledge) as long as it's not destroying the story. I have enjoyed a series here that is riddled with factual errors but those don't really impact on the story so I don't mind. However, there WILL be people that consider it their duty to make you aware of your errors. Mostly by message though.
Personally I prefer to do everthing at once otherwise I always find a reason not to post.
As for proof-reading you get "blind" after one or two readings. Coming back after some time gives you a second chance. However, smaller errors like spelling and less than perfect wording can be edited after posting. (There are a some missing words etc in your stories but not to an annoying degree). I do come back to my stories to tidy up when necessary.
You might consider getting a
You might consider getting a few beta readers or an editor, it is often easier to see others errors than your own. The interaction might gain you, new friends. As is often said, you can never have too many friends.
I'd let them sit and stew for a few weeks.
Then when you read them, you are more like a reader than the author. Most of us have one big fault as authors and that is getting too close to our work and not letting go or simply not being able to see the wood for the trees.
I'm posting part two of 'End of the line. All Change' today. I wrote most of the story in june/july. There might still be the odd foopah but the story editing I've did in August made it flow a lot better.
There really is no rush to get pieces out the door if you are writing for pleasure. Doing it as a business is another matter and different rules apply.
All the above can be totally ingnored.
Samantha
A trick
A trick to better proofreading is to read the story aloud. Mistakes that your eyes miss are glaring when your ears hear them.
Dawn
I'm appalled
When read my stories... my good stuff, mind you... sometimes a year or more after I've posted it and find rookie writer flubs.... I'm horrified at what I see.
I'm a compulsive editor. When reading stories from here or elsewhere I cut and paste into my word processor so that I can read them later... an old dial-up habit. Then when I read them, I can't resist editing them as I go along. I don't mind minor errors in punctuation, homonyms, or verb tense. I simply correct them and read on. However if there are to many places where I'm confused about just who's talking in a dialog, or to many sentences that I can't get the meaning of, or blatant scrambling of names, I'll sometimes get discouraged and quit reading. Though, that rarely happens. When it does, it's a combination of that and a really odd writing style.
On that note, I had to try three times to read "Hunger Games", because the writer used what I call joke tense to convey the story. You know what I mean, "Three guys walk into a bar and the bartender says, 'What? You couldn't get a date.'" Everything in present tense. The fact that I did finally get into "Hunger Games" is testimony that if the story is good enough, even a poor writing style and other errors can be overlooked.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin eine Mann
Editing issues
Finding errors after you post something isn't all that unusual, I still find errors in my writing occasionally.
The nice thing about posting stories here is you can fix them and repost fairly easily, whether you fix them or someone else does.
I'm generally pretty anal when it comes to proofreading and editing my pieces, which is likely why my typing speed is so slow (eight to ten words a minute on average). I still miss things sometimes; it's part of the learning process of being a writer, I suppose.
If you would like some help editing and proofreading your stories, current or future, I'm available. Send me a PM if you're interested.
I just read your stories, I might have read them sooner but I've been catching up on several authors I follow quite regularly here. They're pretty good, short and to the point. I had a good chuckle after finishing An Achaean Tale, it was well done.
thank you
Thanks for your help everyone. For now I will try letting myself get a little more distance from stories before publishing. I do especially like the idea of reading them aloud even if I don't catch any errors that way. I think it will help with rhythm and variety in sentence structure and word choices.
Know Your Audience
If you are your audience, only your preference matters.
If you're seeking perfection, it doesn't exist. Even commercial writing is riddled with errors.
If you're trying to please all the people on BC, good luck with that. While the vast majority here are quite supportive, there are a few who aren't. You could stand on your head a shoot stars out of your ears, and they still would complain about genre or some such nonsense.
I love to go back and edit my stories, again, and again, and again.
My usual process is to write, rewrite four or five times, run through a spell checker, run through Grammarly, let sit for three to four weeks, rewrite again, and then I post it and check it in about a week -- again in about six months -- and about once a year after that, if I like the story that much.
If I like a story I'm writing, but don't feel comfortable with it, I'll ask a beta reader to read and comment. That's always been fruitful.
If you care enough to write the very best . . . you will, no matter what your process is.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)