Nobody likes editing. We’d all rather be writing 24/7 but editing must be done in order to produce a finished work. Here are some quick tips to get you started.
- First Pass: Spelling
Make one run through your work and check just for spelling. You can use a spell-check program or do a quick read-through. A read-through will also catch words that are spelled correctly but used incorrectly, such as your for you’re or two for to.
2. Second Pass: Grammar
This one’s a bit tricker, since you do have to read through the work to catch incorrect grammar. If grammar is your weak spot, this would be a good time to pass the work along to a professional editor. Check for verb tense, dangling participles and other common problems.
3. Third Pass: Word Repetition
Make a pass for one common problem we all have: our favorite phrase. If you don’t know what that is, you might try plugging your text into a tag cloud generator. That’ll show you any words or phrases that show up the most often. If anything jumps out at you, do a search/replace and root out all those repetitions. You might also check for pronoun repetition – paragraphs with too many “he’s” or “she’s” and not enough names (I tend to have that problem).
4. Fourth Pass: Dialogue
Read through your work, focusing on your dialogue. Does each character speak in a unique voice? Can you tell which character is which without looking at name tags? Are your educated characters using longer words and longer sentences than your less educated characters? Make sure your dialogue is believable and logical.
Once you get past that fourth draft, your work is going to be pretty much ready for a professional editor to look at. (Bet you thought I was going to say “ready for publishing” didn’t you?) Never send your work out without having a professional look over it!