But you have to do it. Sometimes your partner doesn't have time to go over your copy. Or your ACD or CD. Sometimes you have to figure it out for yourself.
So now that you've written 5 or 6 versions (you did write several drafts and options right??) and have settled on the strongest, best-written piece, it's time to edit.
Ten Editing Tips from the Tweed
1. Read it out loud.When you hear it you may notice sentences that are too long or too clunky. Edit those sentences that don't sound right.
2. Check your spelling and grammar. Use spell check then also go through for words spell check may not get - many homophones (pored/poured), common mistakes like than/then and it's/its. (I always have to look for British spellings that still seep out of me)
3. Read it backward. start from the last sentence and read to the first - reading them out of context helps you notice mistakes better
Now, start going through your work with a fine tooth comb and looking at ways you can really make it stronger.
2. Check your spelling and grammar. Use spell check then also go through for words spell check may not get - many homophones (pored/poured), common mistakes like than/then and it's/its. (I always have to look for British spellings that still seep out of me)
3. Read it backward. start from the last sentence and read to the first - reading them out of context helps you notice mistakes better
Now, start going through your work with a fine tooth comb and looking at ways you can really make it stronger.
4.
Kill “That.” In
most cases it doesn’t add anything but more words.
5.
Change “Get.” Get says very little. Grab (see, I could've said get here) your
thesaurus and find another verb. While you’re at it, kill most iterations of
“to be,” and any variation of “there
is/are." Try to keep your language active and colourful.
Is there one word that means “ran quickly” or “said angrily”?
7.
Don’t get too friendly with adverbs and adjectives : You
can be descriptive by using descriptive language, not just adding descriptors
like adverbs and adjectives.
He wore a blue jacket isn't really telling me much. What shade of blue? How did he wear it? How did the jacket look? Feel? Smell?
He wore a blue jacket isn't really telling me much. What shade of blue? How did he wear it? How did the jacket look? Feel? Smell?
8.
Be strange. If
the word or phrase sounds familiar, change it. There are clichéd ideas and phrases. Check yourself anytime anything flows too easily out of your mind –
that may be because you’ve heard it before.
9.
Write it again. Rewrite it. Pen it over. There are several ways to say the same
thing, explore different options to make sure you’re saying it the best way.
10.
Commit sentence suicide : Strip the piece down to its barest form
and then rebuild from there. Does it need that word? Go through your copy line
by line and make sure everything you put in is
adding something to the piece and serves a genuine purpose. If it doesn’t:
delete, delete, delete.
Bonus: Be your enemy. I read this advice from a well-known CD - look at your work as if your enemy did it - what would you tell them to change?
