Random thought for a Sunday morning.
Editing!
Many dread it. I actually enjoy it, although I realize that makes me sound like I've loss lost it. I'm a firm believer in the theory that you can't edit what isn't written. So I slam the words onto the page, then go back later and make them pretty. Or prettier.
There's something exciting about reading my words and trying to find ways to make them better. Perhaps that's why I look forward to it.
Here are some helpful things I've discovered that help me find hidden mistakes in my MS:
- Put your document into a totally different font. Not Algerian, but try Ariel. Somehow, I find mistakes my eyes have skimmed over a thousand times before when they look different.
- Read your document out loud. Consider: Does it flow? If the sentences are all the same length, break them up to change the pace here and there. Does the dialogue work? Is it snappy, and does it keep the story moving along? Does it add to the plot? If people are speaking just to say something, be brutal with them. Dialogue should add to the story, not bore the reader.
- Pay attention to that irritating spell check in your Word doc. I believe my eyes become so used to little green underlines that I start mentally ignoring them. Fragmented sentence. Oh well, some people speak in fragments, or think in them. Who has complete thoughts while thinking? I don't. Odd names. I have plenty in my most recent MS, so green lines under them are expected. But occasionally, that pesky spell check points out true mistakes. Take an hour to run a complete spell check on your document; you'll be surprised by what it finds, and what your eye missed while editing.
- Print your document and take a red pen to it. Sometimes you'll see things you miss when you read on the screen.
