by Austin Vail

Created on: March 10, 2007   Last Updated: May 14, 2007

For long works such as a nonfiction book or novel, I find that my usual proofreader becomes sick of the subject matter or story after the second or third time through. Since she is also my spouse, I've had to figure out how to proof my own revisions, since before someone accepts the work for publication, I'm always revising something. And then once accepted, there will probably be more revisions, but that's not what I'm talking about.

First tip: Print out chunks of the larger work for proofing. I do it by chapter, but it can be done by section or scene too. The point is that errors show up on the printed page that can easily be missed on the screen.

Second tip: If an error is hard to spot, it's probably repeated in the work more than once. Doing global searches for these types of errors in the electronic document often pays off. Global search-replace is my friend.

Third tip: Don't suffer too much over gray areas in punctuation and grammar. Sometimes we have to make a command decision because a construction might not be strictly correct nor terribly wrong, but it works. For example, a comma should really have followed the term "decision" in the previous sentence, if one were to be going by strict rules. Screw it, the sentence reads better without the comma.

Fourth tip: Chunk out long works into small files when creating things like an outline or synopsis, and if possible, use two computers. That way one screen can have the outline up on it, while the other has the actual work. (Notice that I used the comma after "it" here. Why? Because it works, in my most humble opinion on these things. If an editor disagrees, fine. Let's just get the blasted thing published!) Another way to do this is to use a dual-monitor card in a single computer. My spouse does this to extremes: two double-monitor cards in a single computer to support four monitors. That would drive me to drink, not that I need much of a push.

I like the suggestions made by others, especially to read your work out loud. If something is hard to read aloud, it might be hard to read in silence. This is not absolutely true all the time, so be careful. I've found my tendency is to use too many articles and/or conjunctions that can be dropped when reading in silence.

Fifth tip: There's a special hell for writer who use too many semicolons, colons, complex compound sentences that run for pages, thoughts of simplicity gathered together into one bramble bush of confusion, similes hooked to allusions wrapped in metaphor and stinking of rotten fish after a red algae bloom-as the Captain recites the vows of his marriage to the Great White Sperm; you may call me Ish, but don't call me Johnson, as that could swing either or both (or none actually) ways to the mountain, if it refuses to come to you, as it might, and it should; where was I? Oh yeah, keep it simple.

Sixth tip: I've run out of tips, so this ends the article. One should stop writing when the ideas peter out. Nobody likes filler, although some publishers will insist on it. Good luck with that one. At least try to make the filler interesting, and thanks in advance.

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