Comments on: Better Writing Through Revision http://www.writingforward.com/better-writing/better-writing-through-revision Creative writing tips and ideas Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:54:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Melissa Donovan http://www.writingforward.com/better-writing/better-writing-through-revision/comment-page-1#comment-28295 Melissa Donovan Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:22:46 +0000 http://www.writingforward.com/?p=4842#comment-28295 For a long time, I was horrified whenever I saw a typo in a blog post that I had published. In time, I learned to be a little easier on myself. As you said, it's extremely difficult to check your own work, and particularly on a blog, in which case a writer is often publishing shortly after the post is written. Still, those typos sure are annoying! Your process sounds similar to mine. For a long time, I was horrified whenever I saw a typo in a blog post that I had published. In time, I learned to be a little easier on myself. As you said, it’s extremely difficult to check your own work, and particularly on a blog, in which case a writer is often publishing shortly after the post is written. Still, those typos sure are annoying! Your process sounds similar to mine.

]]> By: Meredith http://www.writingforward.com/better-writing/better-writing-through-revision/comment-page-1#comment-28246 Meredith Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:24:11 +0000 http://www.writingforward.com/?p=4842#comment-28246 I can proof someone else's work and find every mistake. I have trouble proofing mine because I know what I meant to say and, as you said, Melissa, the brain fills in the holes. I often have missing words (which actually comes from my word processor which has a tendency to sometimes delete more words than I mean to delete in editing and proofing) and repeated phrases. My biggest sin, however, is adverbs. The Writer in me uses them generously. My Inner Editor seeks them out and deletes them. My solution is to revise -- a lot. I try to write blog posts well in advance of publication, and revise them and proof them several times before I post them. Mistakes still get through, but they are not as bad as they would be. (To make matters worse: I suck as a typist.) When I'm writing fiction I write, then revise it once or twice, after which I put it aside for several months. At that point I revise it again, perhaps several times before I submit it for consideration by an agency. The books I couldn't get published that way, I revised two or three more times before I self-published them. I know there are still mistakes. I refuse to beat myself up about it because I've found typos in professionally published books from major houses. Meredith I can proof someone else’s work and find every mistake. I have trouble proofing mine because I know what I meant to say and, as you said, Melissa, the brain fills in the holes. I often have missing words (which actually comes from my word processor which has a tendency to sometimes delete more words than I mean to delete in editing and proofing) and repeated phrases. My biggest sin, however, is adverbs. The Writer in me uses them generously. My Inner Editor seeks them out and deletes them.

My solution is to revise — a lot. I try to write blog posts well in advance of publication, and revise them and proof them several times before I post them. Mistakes still get through, but they are not as bad as they would be. (To make matters worse: I suck as a typist.)

When I’m writing fiction I write, then revise it once or twice, after which I put it aside for several months. At that point I revise it again, perhaps several times before I submit it for consideration by an agency. The books I couldn’t get published that way, I revised two or three more times before I self-published them. I know there are still mistakes.

I refuse to beat myself up about it because I’ve found typos in professionally published books from major houses.

Meredith

]]> By: Melissa Donovan http://www.writingforward.com/better-writing/better-writing-through-revision/comment-page-1#comment-27692 Melissa Donovan Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:39:20 +0000 http://www.writingforward.com/?p=4842#comment-27692 Yesterday I was proofreading a page that I wrote and there were missing words every few paragraphs. Funny how our brains just plug in what is supposed to be there. I always try to let a piece sit overnight (or longer if possible) so I can get some distance from it and read it with a fresh perspective. Yesterday I was proofreading a page that I wrote and there were missing words every few paragraphs. Funny how our brains just plug in what is supposed to be there. I always try to let a piece sit overnight (or longer if possible) so I can get some distance from it and read it with a fresh perspective.

]]> By: Sarah http://www.writingforward.com/better-writing/better-writing-through-revision/comment-page-1#comment-27686 Sarah Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:20:27 +0000 http://www.writingforward.com/?p=4842#comment-27686 Truth is proofreading and editing is really boring for me but then again, as a writer, it is a must-do. What I hate the most is when I can't detect any mistakes the first time checking or the second time but by the time I click 'submit', suddenly I noticed a spelling error and WTH? Why can't I detect it in the first place and now I have to correct that. .-= Sarah´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WritingConsultation/~3/UUZf9mDg3bI/" rel="nofollow">Writing Consultation Ranking for Google Malaysia</a> =-. Truth is proofreading and editing is really boring for me but then again, as a writer, it is a must-do. What I hate the most is when I can’t detect any mistakes the first time checking or the second time but by the time I click ‘submit’, suddenly I noticed a spelling error and WTH? Why can’t I detect it in the first place and now I have to correct that.
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Writing Consultation Ranking for Google Malaysia =-.

]]> By: Melissa Donovan http://www.writingforward.com/better-writing/better-writing-through-revision/comment-page-1#comment-27427 Melissa Donovan Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:04:30 +0000 http://www.writingforward.com/?p=4842#comment-27427 Sometimes I find myself going back and editing really old posts. If I make a few minor changes, then I leave the post alone, but lately, I've found some that really needed a good overhaul. I just republish those now, especially if I've added new and useful information. Editing is one of those things that you can just keep doing forever. Sometimes I find myself going back and editing really old posts. If I make a few minor changes, then I leave the post alone, but lately, I’ve found some that really needed a good overhaul. I just republish those now, especially if I’ve added new and useful information. Editing is one of those things that you can just keep doing forever.

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