WOW! Women On Writing Blog: Erin Liles

Friday Speak Out!: Self-Editing Tips from an Editor

Friday, January 13, 2017

by Erin Liles

You know how it is, you read your work over and over, and soon, reading it becomes like driving on autopilot. Except, sometimes, you miss your exit and end up on the wrong side of town. Reading on autopilot can be a lot like that. After countless reads, you start missing the errors.

Now, I’m not suggesting you don’t need an editor (ehem, waves), especially if you plan to self-publish, but I am saying that you can be a lot more effective at self-editing with a few nifty tricks.

Search

Use your search function to look for common filler words like just, very, really, you know, those words we think we ~~really~~ need but don’t. Unless you’re using them in dialogue, which might contribute to the voice of a character, these words are generally unnecessary.

List

Make a list of common errors and use the search function to find them. My list has things like preferred word spellings and hyphenations, space before closing punctuation, and abbreviations.

Print

Print out your manuscript and read it beginning to end. Reading it as a paper copy helps you see it in a different way so that you can spot errors more easily. So, get out your red pen!

Read

Load it onto your Kindle or another e-reader. Like printing the manuscript, this gives you a fresh way to see it. On a Kindle you can also add notes and highlight, making it easy to find your corrections when you’re ready.

Listen

This one is my absolute favorite! You convert your Word document to a PDF and then under the View tab, choose Read Aloud. Then, slip on your headphones and start listening! Since I have two screens, I always have one screen showing the PDF where I’m following along as it reads and the other screen showing the Word document where I’ll make corrections. If you don’t have two screens, you can easily switch back and forth between documents, or use a printed version to make corrections on.

This technique is valuable in helping to find those small missing words like “a” and “the,” incorrect word usage, repetitive words, phrases, or sentence structure, and it can help you identify wordy or awkward sentences.

What self-editing tricks do you use?

Happy editing!

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Erin Liles is a freelance editor and writer. She is the author of A Friend for Freckles, and her young adult novel is represented by Mansion Street Literary. You can visit her website at editperfectword.com.
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6 comments editing, Erin Liles, Friday Speak Out, Self-editing, tips for writers

Friday Speak Out!: 3 Tips for Beating the Creativity Blues

Friday, December 16, 2016

by Erin Liles

There might not be a cure for the summertime blues, but there are a few things that might help with the creativity blues. You know, those dry spells you encounter when you can’t think of anything to write, or when everything you write seems awful? Yes, we’ve all been there!
But creativity is the drive behind art, so when it dries out, we’ve got to tend it, help it bloom again.

“Play around. Dive into absurdity and write. Take chances. You will succeed if you are fearless of failure.”
― Natalie Goldberg, Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within

1. Go with the flow. Take ten to fifteen minutes a day to sit down and write. Set a timer for the allotted time, put pen to paper (or keyboard, but sometimes engaging in the physical act of writing the old-school way helps to connect you to your mind more effectively) and start writing. DO NOT STOP until your timer goes off. Do not edit, do not stop to think about what you’re going to say, do not censor yourself in any way.

Writing this way helps to free you from your fear. It tells that inner editor, the one that makes us think we’re no good, that makes us pause, that makes us question, to shut up. This is all about letting whatever comes to mind flow. Let it all out. Even if you can’t think of anything to say, write, “I don’t know what to write.” Or, “I hate doing this.” But keep writing and don’t stop.

2. Think in opposites. Think of two words that are opposite. Lead/follow. Big/small. Together/apart. Lazy/ambitious. You get the idea. Write a few words about how a character you might be working on could be both things at once. A business man is successful and unhappy. A woman leaves prison only to feel caged by her circumstances.

Or, if you’re a nonfiction writer, think of how a concept might encompass two ideas at once. A business plan is complicated but easy to follow. The point is to stretch your mind, try to eliminate black and white thinking so that creative thinking can get through.

3. Look at visual art. Go to a museum, scour the Internet, or even my favorite, get on Pinterest and type “art” or “art inspiration” in the search box. You will be amazed at what comes up. Pick something that strikes you and write about it for a few minutes.

Taking some time each day to do some exercises like these will really help get those creative juices flowing!

Happy writing!

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