Clean Up Sloppy Writing

Some writers have great story ideas, spend lots of time working them out before submitting to an editor. They spend so much time working on the content that they become guilty of something I call sloppy writing. 

That's when little attention is paid to the mechanics of writing. You know what they are--those boring things your middle school, high school and college teachers tried to pound into your head. They're all part of what makes a good story a better one. 

Keep these things in mind when you write and self-edit:

• Redundancy:  Say what you mean once and then move on. Don't keep repeating even if usuing different words. 
• Spelling:  Use spellcheck even though it takes a bit of time. 
• Punctuation:  Some writers toss commas into the air and let them stay wherever they land. Learn where to use them and where they do not belong. 
• Quote marks:  There are rules for using them--reivew them
• Parts of speech:  Nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives are all important to the way your story reads. Weak verbs add nothing to a story, too many adverbs or too many adjectives detract from your story. 

I could write a post on each of the points in the list above. In fact, I think that next week. I will do exactly that. They may not be of great interest but paying attention to all of them will enhance the quality of your stories, articles and even poetry. None of us wants to be accused of sloppy writing.