This self-editing checklist covers the basics of self-editing so you can get your work looking its best.<\/p>\n
If you want your message to be heard, be clear. Don\u2019t tempt readers to click away or put your book down because of careless mistakes in grammar or construction.<\/p>\n
Writing and editing are different skills with different mindsets. You need to separate creation (right brain activity) from critique (left brain activity).<\/p>\n
Write your piece, then let it sit for a while before editing it.\u00a0Concentrating on one aspect of editing each time<\/a>\u00a0leads to better results.<\/p>\n Back up regularly\u00a0<\/strong>to an external hard drive and\/or the cloud. At the very least, save to a USB stick (thumb drive.)<\/p>\n Save each version and number the file names v1, v2, etc., especially for a longer work. This allows you to turn back time if you need to reference an earlier draft.<\/p>\n On the screen we need much more white space than on a page. White space allows our eyes to rest. For online pieces, paragraphs can be one to three sentences long.<\/p>\n To improve clarity, \u00a0have one idea per sentence. Avoid comma splices, where a comma is used instead of a full stop.<\/p>\n Use a different font in a larger size than usual. This makes it easier to see errors like missing punctuation, extra spaces, or duplicate words.<\/p>\n Non-justified text is easier to read.<\/p>\n Always start a new paragraph when there is a change in:<\/p>\n You might also want to break the paragraph to emphasize a particular sentence.<\/p>\n This is the number-one method to catch awkward or choppy dialogue, repeated words, and long sentences. Hearing your story read out loud is great fun. You can mark up the print copy as you go along.<\/p>\n Use text to speech to have your computer read to you.<\/p>\n This is standard on Macs: open System Preferences, then Dictation and Speech.<\/p>\n For Android devices, look under Accessibility. Or download a free app such as ReadAloud for PC.<\/p>\n The spell checker is very useful for catching spelling errors. However, it will not highlight typos that are real words, for example, \u201cbets\u201d rather than \u201cbest.\u201d You\u2019ll see them on a print copy and hear them on audio.<\/p>\n It\u2019s essential to read through your print copy more than once to catch typos, even when the spelling check is complete.<\/p>\n Homonyms are words with the same sound or spelling but different meanings. For example:<\/p>\n Homonym errors can be repeated because you\u2019re unaware or unsure of the correct word. If you\u2019re not sure, you don\u2019t know it. Look it up.<\/p>\n You can find more\u00a0information about homonyms here<\/a><\/u>. It\u2019s worth reading more about homonyms because they can trip up even the most experienced writer.<\/p>\n In everyday speech, crutch words give us time to think:<\/p>\n In writing, crutch words are those we lean on and use repeatedly.<\/p>\n Using a few of these in written dialogue can show character and sound natural, but beware of using them too often. Good dialogue is natural speech, polished.<\/p>\n You can use a\u00a0word frequency counter like this one<\/a><\/u>\u00a0to see which words you overuse.<\/p>\n Action tags<\/strong>\u00a0are another source of repetition: shrugged, smiled, laughed, sighed.<\/p>\n Use the \u2018find\u2019 function and make a choice to keep, cut, or change.<\/p>\n And, that, when, but<\/strong>: common words which are not always necessary. Removing some of them tightens your prose.<\/p>\n Adverbs modify verbs, but often a stronger verb is the better choice.<\/p>\n Walked\u00a0quickly \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>strode, ran, hurried<\/p>\n Said\u00a0quietly \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>murmured, whispered, muttered<\/p>\n Laughed\u00a0loudly \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/em>chuckled,\u00a0<\/em>chortled, giggled<\/p>\n The suggested alternatives are not exact synonyms. Choose the one that best matches your meaning.<\/p>\n Reading age describes a person\u2019s reading ability compared to an average child of that age. Average reading age is 11-12 years in the UK and 12 years in the US.<\/p>\n People prefer to read for recreation at least 2 years lower than their educational level.<\/p>\n Cut jargon, slang, unusual, or long words unless they are essential to your point. Use simple words that everyone understands.<\/p>\n Reading age of popular media (years)<\/strong><\/p>\n The Sun tabloid newspaper \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 7-9<\/p>\n Harry Potter \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a012-13<\/p>\n Improve readability by splitting long sentences and making paragraphs shorter.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Hemingway application<\/a><\/u>\u00a0has both free and paid versions, which allow you to check for readability, adverbs, passive voice and more.<\/p>\n Academic and business writing ruins us as creative writers. Business writing often combines overuse of passive voice with jargon. This makes our writing feel formal and stilted. There are exceptions where we choose passive voice for a distancing effect. Be sure that\u2019s what you\u2019re aiming for when you use it.<\/p>\n Passive voice uses the construction\u00a0object \u2013 verb \u2013 subject.<\/strong><\/p>\n The active construction\u00a0subject \u2013 verb \u2013 object<\/strong>\u00a0uses fewer words and focuses attention on the subject.<\/p>\n The boy was hit by the ball.<\/strong><\/u>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The ball hit the boy.<\/strong><\/p>\n Passive voice is disliked by modern writers.<\/u>\u00a0 \u00a0 Modern writers dislike passive voice.<\/strong><\/p>\n Using \u201cwas\u201d with \u201c-ing\u201d is a favorite in writing, as it mimics the natural speech patterns of storytelling. Look at example #1, which features past progressive and, for good measure, also the clich\u00e9 adverb \u201csuddenly.\u201d<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0She\u00a0was walking slowly<\/em>\u00a0along the road,\u00a0when suddenly,<\/em>\u00a0he came into view.<\/strong><\/p>\n We can improve it by using a stronger verb in the past simple tense, removing the cliched adverb, and making it more descriptive:<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0She\u00a0shuffled<\/em>\u00a0along, scanning the road ahead. There was no time to hide when he stepped into her path.<\/strong><\/p>\n If you overwrite, using past simple is one way to cut words without losing the sense of your text. If you underwrite, better verb choice and more description can flesh it out.<\/p>\n These are verbs or verb phrases without a subject. It\u2019s not clear who or what performed the action.<\/p>\n A hanging participle could be a sentence that starts with an \u2013ing word. If you start a sentence with an -ing word, ensure the noun that follows belongs to the verb at the beginning.<\/p>\n Rushing<\/strong><\/u>\u00a0through the entrance,\u00a0the doormat<\/u>\u00a0nearly tripped me up.<\/strong><\/p>\n Instead:<\/p>\n Rushing<\/strong><\/u>\u00a0through the entrance,\u00a0I<\/u>\u00a0nearly tripped on the doormat.<\/strong><\/p>\n Or:<\/p>\n I stumbled over the mat as I hurried out of the rain.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n A hanging participle could be a phrase without a subject.<\/p>\n Now aged six months old<\/strong><\/u>,\u00a0doctors<\/u>\u00a0say Karen has fully recovered.<\/strong><\/p>\n Instead:<\/p>\n Karen is now six months old and doctors say she has fully recovered.<\/strong><\/p>\n The hanging participle is best rewritten to clarify who is doing what to whom.<\/p>\n Filter words<\/a>\u00a0stand between author and reader, creating distance. They describe thought processes and sensations. To deepen point of view and immerse the reader in the character\u2019s mind, remove them. Here\u2019s an example:<\/p>\n She\u00a0started to<\/em>\u00a0run away from the man,\u00a0and saw<\/em>\u00a0an alleyway coming up ahead. She ran into the alley,\u00a0feeling<\/em>\u00a0her heart beating quickly\u00a0in her chest<\/em>.\u00a0She heard<\/em>\u00a0his footsteps behind her.\u00a0She felt as if<\/em>\u00a0she could not escape.\u00a0Deciding<\/em>\u00a0to stand her ground this time, she turned to face her attacker. (54 words)<\/strong><\/p>\n Compare to:<\/p>\n She ran from her attacker and ducked into an alley. Her heartbeat kept pace with the footsteps racing ever closer. It was a dead end, no escape. She took a breath and turned to face him. This time she would stand her ground. (43 words)<\/strong><\/p>\n The new shorter version is more vivid and immediate. It\u2019s rated Grade 2 on the Hemingway app, so an average seven year old should be able to read it.<\/p>\n There\u2019s much more to this subject than this article can cover. There are many other useful resources to choose from. For instance:<\/p>\n Grammar Girl<\/a><\/u>\u00a0is a comprehensive website that can answer all your grammar questions.<\/p>\n Grammarly<\/a><\/u>\u00a0offers free and paid versions of its grammar and spelling checker.<\/p>\n1. Back Up Everything Every Time You Write<\/h2>\n
2. Check the Overall Appearance<\/h2>\n
3. Print it Out<\/h2>\n
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4. Read it Aloud<\/h2>\n
5. Typos and Homonyms<\/h2>\n
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6. Avoid Repetition<\/h2>\n
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7. Limit Your Adverbs<\/h2>\n
8. Make Reading Easier<\/h2>\n
\u00a0<\/strong>9. Use Active Voice<\/h2>\n
10. Don\u2019t Overuse Progressive Tenses<\/h2>\n
11. Avoid Hanging Participles<\/h2>\n
12. Remove Filter Words<\/h2>\n
Go Beyond this 12-Step Self-Editing Checklist<\/h2>\n