The first step in the writing process is to put your ideas down on paper. Once you have text to work with, the second step is to revise what you have written to make it as clear, accurate and powerful as you can. The final step is to edit your work carefully.
Editing Tip #1: Take a Break
When you have concentrated on your writing for long periods of time, there is a tendency to read what you think is there-not what you have actually written! By taking a break for a few hours (or even a few days), you will return to your work with a fresh mind and fresh eyes. Suddenly you will realize that:
Editing is conducted at two levels. First concentrate on the conceptual, or substantive, level to ensure that your ideas are strong, logical and well-organized. Once this step is complete, go through your work line-by-line to check for small details such as spelling, grammar, word choice and punctuation.
Conceptual Editing
When you begin to edit at the conceptual level, try to approach your work as though you were the intended reader instead of the author. In your role as reader, look at the introduction. Is it compelling? Do you clearly understand what the topic, major points and slant of the communication will be?
Then look at the body. Do the ideas flow well, or are they confusing? Are they presented in some kind of logical order? Do concrete details help to paint a clear picture? Are any stray ideas lurking in unrelated paragraphs?
Does this communication seem to be written for you? In other words, do you feel like you are its intended audience, or does the writer fail to explain concepts, terms and acronyms you don't understand? Is the voice of this communication appropriate? Is it too formal? Too informal? Just right?
Did the writer insult your intelligence by repeating the same ideas over and over? Or did the writer present a strong, clear, coherent argument that you understood immediately? Finally, what is your overall impression of this communication (and its writer)? Positive or negative?
This technique of reading what you have written as though you were the intended audience will help you see your communications from a different perspective. Some of what you discover may surprise you. Make any changes that are necessary and then proceed to line editing.
Line Editing
The final step in the editing process is to go through your document line-by-line to check for errors in mechanics (e.g., spelling, grammar, punctuation), word usage and format.
If you included tables or figures, be sure to check that the captions are correct and that you entered the data correctly. Also be sure you have expressed your ideas as succinctly as possible. If you find your sentences are filled with empty, unnecessary words, delete them.
Try This!
If you are having problems "seeing" your errors at the line level, go to the end of your document and read the last sentence. Then read the second to last sentence. Continue working from the end to the beginning until you reach your opening line! This technique keeps your brain from automatically reading what you think you wrote and helps you see what is actually on the page.
A Special Word About Homonyms
The English language has many words, called homonyms, that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings. The four most common sets are: their/they're/there, too/to/two, your/you're, and its/it's.
These are FREQUENTLY used incorrectly! Even when you know the difference between them, it is easy to type the wrong word when you are concentrating on getting your ideas down on paper. Unfortunately, ordinary spell-check programs cannot distinguish between homonyms that are used correctly and those that are used incorrectly. Therefore, always pay special attention to these words when you are conducting a line edit.
Editing Tip #3: Always Spell-Check Your Work
It is amazing how often writers fail to perform this final edit--especially since it is so easy to do! I will agree that spell-check programs attached to word processing software cannot detect homonyms, that they highlight unfamiliar words that are actually spelled correctly, and that the grammar check is frequently just plain wrong.
On the other hand, they do pick up incorrect spacing between words, highlight a few grammar problems correctly, and catch most of your misspelled words. The process doesn't take very long and is easy to perform. In the end, you have nothing to lose by taking this final step and potentially much to gain!
Clarice Kyd Dankers, M.A., offers editing and coaching services to business and academic clients around the world. Her work incorporates eight years of experience in business communications with extensive experience in linguistics, publishing and university teaching. For more information about her services-or to sign up for her free monthly newsletter-go to http://www.polishyourwriting.com
monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..Recently I was watching the Oprah show and it was... Read More
How do you describe a scene without slowing down the... Read More
I do on occasion run out of ideas for my... Read More
It is certainly true that we don't get a second... Read More
11 Secrets from an Experienced InterviewerOne of the unwritten rules... Read More
Characters in a good novel really carry the story along... Read More
This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More
Did you know that your back cover information is, after... Read More
To help build your profile and reputation within a large... Read More
No matter what you are writing, the first priority is... Read More
I am sure that at in some era, at some... Read More
In one of the exercises in my "Getting Started as... Read More
Many writers write for the experience. Others dream of having... Read More
Chaos and confusion come when established rules and procedures are... Read More
We writers are a powerful lot. We control time. We... Read More
No matter what your fifth-grade English teacher says, some grammar... Read More
As an International language, English has been used widely in... Read More
(excerpted from the "How to Use a Journal" audio series... Read More
Sometimes I can be dense when it comes to realizing... Read More
According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More
Arrogance has a bad rap. We think of arrogant people... Read More
On the first day of a bright and shiny new... Read More
How to get a lot of traffic to your website... Read More
So many clients come to me as a book or... Read More
Your query letter can be a deal maker or a... Read More
scheduled maid service Mundelein ..1. Make your goals achievable.By achievable, we mean realistic and... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?We all tackle plotting differently. How you... Read More
As you set out to create your first niche non-fiction... Read More
As an International language, English has been used widely in... Read More
Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More
The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More
The first step in the writing process is to put... Read More
The urge to write fiction seems God given for some,... Read More
Making Money from Freelance WritingIt's the question that every aspiring... Read More
Dave, I just got a contract for a book... Read More
* Scanning and Skimming Practices *Whether you're writing e-mail messages... Read More
First, let's tackle the question that is uppermost in many... Read More
Do you know what a query letter is? If so,... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
When you write for international audiences, mainly directly in English,... Read More
Most of us hate housework.Nevertheless, even the most hopeless slobs... Read More
There is one key difference between reports and most other... Read More
This is the ideal topic for us all to think... Read More
The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More
Q. I'm staring at a blank screen with an equally... Read More
During the years that I've been teaching writing and participating... Read More
One Saturday afternoon, I sat in a packed conference room... Read More
We all need a cheer squad.We all need people to... Read More
Q and A.Best choice when subject is very verbal or... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?You are plotting the story. You write... Read More
Writing |