A List of Proofreading Suggestions

 

Every writer knows that proofreading is important. Very few would dispute that. Just as important is the way in which you proofread. A quick glance over the piece is not going to give you the type of end product that you want--or that editors will deem acceptable. 

There are many parts to proofreading, lots of Do This or Don't Do This. I have listed some of those you should do below:

1. DO set your draft aside for a while before you begin. How long? I'd say a minimum of overnight, maybe even a few days. Don't wait 15 minutes after you write the final words of the draft and then start proofreading. Your mind is still into what you wrote in the draft; it's not ready to look for ways to improve it yet.
2. DO read aloud at least once in your proofreading process. Trouble spots you might pass over while reading silently will become easier to spot. Things like sentences that are too long, an overabundance of adjectives or adverbs, poor subject/verb tense, and more.
3. DO check punctuation. Some writers go through the entire piece checking only commas or only quote marks. You'd be surprised how often writers miss putting in commas where needed or quote marks on only one end of the quote. 
4. DO look for repetition of words and ideas. It's all too easy to repeat as we write. It's one thing you'll catch if you read aloud.
5. DO look at verbs. Are there too many passive verbs? See how many you can change to be active. Active verbs always make for more interesting reading.
6. DO check to see that your pronouns are clear as to who or what they are referring to. I often mark this problem in the work of others that I critique. The writer knows who or what, but the reader needs to have clarity. 
7. DO Check each paragraph to make sure it shows a single point. Mixing more than one thought for a paragraph is confusing. Make sure that each person speaking in a dialogue begins a new paragraph, even if all they say is "Sure." 
8. DO a spell check and check for words that are used too often, like 'was' or 'it' or 'that' with the tools given with your word processing program.
9. Do check for overly-long sentences. If a sentence goes on and on, the reader will easily lose the important thought in it. 
10. DO check for sentence fragments. Complete sentences are what we strive for, even though an occasional fragment works in what we're writing. Only occasionally, however.
11. DO check verb tenses. Don't bounce them around. Be consistent.
12. DO show more than tell. Your piece will be far more interesting if you do this.
13. DO check the dialogue sections carefully. Eliminate adverbs in the tags. Check the punctuation and quote marks carefully in dialogue.
14. DO be consistent with capitalizations with names and specific places. I often see a story I'm critiquing that uses caps in some places and not in others for the same word.
15. DO look for varying lengths of sentences. Mix up the long ones and the shorter. 

The list above is not complete, but it can help in checking what you want to proofread and how. 

Should you proofread more than once? I think it would be beneficial to do it at least twice or three times with time left between proofreading sessions. If you do two sessions back to back, you're very likely to miss the same mistakes. 

Learning at a Writers' Meeting

 

Today, I'm going to share several writing world items that I have been musing upon recently. I attended a meeting of a group of writers via Zoom one evening this week. A few thoughts from that group have been swirling through my mind ever since.

A man who writes poetry shared a poem from an anthology that addresses writing as a path to healing. His poem was titled "Fargo Airport, Waiting in a Bar" He wrote about waiting in an airport bar for family members at the time of his father's death, but the poem was written ten years after that happened. It's not so unusual as it often takes time for an enlightening or understanding to take place. I once had this happen, writing a poem many years after a situation when a movie I watched triggered writing the poem.

He said the poem he read to us used a collage. He's at an airport bar having a beer while waiting and thinking about his recently deceased father. He's also reading the signs around the bar and on the beer bottle, so he incorporates a few of them into the poem. Somehow, they fit. I was not familiar with the idea of a 'collage poem.' If it interests you, use the keywords in a search engine to learn more.

The third subject that the poet left me pondering is proof of something I have long thought regarding the writing of poetry. The man has an environmental engineering degree. He has no MFA in poetry. He is living proof that anyone can write poetry and do it well enough to be published. I have never studied the art of writing poems, nor do I know the finer points and advanced terminology, but I write from my heart and have also had some poetry published. Don't ever let not having a degree or studying the art of poetry stop you from trying it yourself. 

A woman who has written more than 20 picture books for children and has illustrated several. She has had a Visiting Professorship in an MFA program. As you can see, she is a very successful and accomplished writer. She, too, has a piece in the anthology dealing with writing as a path to healing. Each contributor was asked to write an answer to the question: 'What scares you about writing?' In her talk the other evening, she said that she fears that each book will be the last piece of writing accepted. So, you see, it is not only the beginning writer who has fears. The ones who have written and been very successful have fears, too. In fact, this author listed ten of them! 

Before anyone complains, let me state that I have no aversion to people attending an MFA program to fine-tune their writing skills. I admire those who do very much. And to be asked to teach a course in one is wonderful. My point is that having a degree like this--Master of Fine Arts--is excellent but not 100% necessary to find success in the writing world. 

I often encourage writers at all stages to attend writing conferences, workshops, and short meetings like the one I mentioned here. In a mere 90 minutes, I learned from others, admired those who were presenters that evening, and continued to ponder on what came from that meeting. 

In a few weeks, I will have a review of the anthology I referred to today as a blog post. 

A Writing Exercise That Brings Results

 

What will she write?

Last evening, I attended a writing group meeting in California via Zoom. At one point, we were given a prompt to do a Freewrite exercise. Several people read what they had written. It amazed me how welldone they were, All the writing tools they had came through in what each had written. 

This enforced my own belief that once you have learned to use the writing tools in our word world, they become automatic whenever you write, even in an exercise like this. It's a vote for 'practicing your writing every day.'

Usually, my Freewrite exercises are done with either one word or a photo. Marlene Cullen, the moderator of The Write Forum, sends prompts that are several words. Last evening, the 4-word prompt inspired everyone at the meeting. The prompt:  The last time I...

Those few words brought everyone in a different direction. My very first thought was 'The last time I saw Paris' but only because of the lyrics in a song. I scratched that and instead, my first line was 'The last time I saw my mother...' And I was off. By the end of the allotted time, I had a rough draft for a personal essay. From the ones we heard read aloud, I would say each one could either stand alone or be expanded upon. 

By now, you should know the drill. Find your prompt, whether a photo, word, or the beginning of a sentence. Set a timer for 10, 15, or 20 minutes. Then write without stopping, without thinking, until the timer alerts you that it's time to conclude your thoughts. 

Will you always come away with a full piece of writing good enough to continue working on? No, but oftentimes you will. Or you might lift one valuable paragraph to continue working on later. Sometimes, what you write in this kind of exercise is pure drivel, but most of the time, you'll find something worthwhile.

Freewriting allows your mind to open and your subconscious to surface into actual thoughts. It also can trigger memories that you can use in a story or memoir or inspirational piece. You can even turn what you have into poetry.  I like to think of it as searching through the attic of your mind. You never know what treasures you might find. 

Marlene Cullen, the leader of last evening's zoom meeting, has a blog that gives you many excellent prompts as well as some book reviews and articles by guest bloggers. I have been a guest blogger several times for her, and she has done the same for me. You'll find her blog at 

https://thewritespot.us/marlenecullenblog/  There is a place to sign up to receive the blog regularly. It would be a great way to be sure you do some writing exercises on a regular basis. 

I'll leave you today with a Freewrite prompt:  I remember when...