By
Elaine Marie Cooper
Forgive
me for borrowing the popular acronym “SEO,” which usually means search engine
optimization. As a writer, I am constantly trying to improve my craft. What
better way to do so than through optimization, or making my words as effective
as possible? I can accomplish this by good self-editing: Self-Editing
Optimization.
Just
thinking about editing makes the creative right side of my brain scream to be
let loose, free to use words, punctuation, and grammar in novel ways. But let’s
face it: Well formed sentences, accurately punctuated and without excessive
words, make for a more pleasant time for our readers.
Think
about the times you’ve received an e-mail filled with misspellings, run-on
sentences, or poorly phrased sentiments. Did you cringe and want to whip out a
red pen?
So
in deference to our readers, as well as to those editors who bravely face the
assault of misused semicolons and pronouns, let’s all hone our self-editing
skills. Where does a serious writer begin?
First,
invest a few dollars in a terrific writing guide that has been tutoring authors
and others for years: The Elements of Style. There are
several versions out there, some written by both William Strunk and E.B. White,
which is the original, first copyrighted in 1935. Mine is an updated 2011
version written by William Strunk and William Strunk, Jr. If you have a Kindle,
you can download the book for a few dollars and find a wealth of practical
information about grammar, punctuation, and word usage. I find the formal
writing style of Elements both humorous and informative. It is a quick read—mine
is only 58 pages—and well worth your time.
My
husband happens to be an editor. He has shared words of wisdom with me that I
will share with you:
Read
your text over immediately after you write it. If you write like I do, you will
surely find multiple errors. Do that first edit. Take
a break and put your missive aside. Read
it again later—you will likely find even more errors this time. Read
it out loud and you will find still more, perhaps minor, flaws that can be
improved upon.
Spelling
is a frequent problem that is usually helped with spellcheck. However, it is
not foolproof and can lead you astray if you rely upon it religiously. Since I
write historical novels, I often have to look up the correct spelling for
certain words that my laptop has not a clue
how to spell.
Every
writer tends to make certain mistakes repeatedly. Learn where your weaknesses
are. Is it using the same word over and over? Not varying the length of your
sentences? Using excessive words rather than being concise? We all have bad
habits that would likely infuriate William Strunk!
But
don’t be too hard on yourself. Even Mr.Strunk used to be a fledgling writer. I
am quite certain he may have misused a semi-colon or two along the way.
If
you’re looking for an excellent source of informative tips for writing well,
Cecil Murphey has a wonderful blog at http://cecmurpheyswritertowriter.blogspot.com/.
He generously shares his “lessons learned from a lifetime of writing.”
Self-editing
stretches me, but forces me to become a better wordsmith. And that is my goal
as a writer, though it may take me a lifetime to learn all the lessons.
Elaine Marie Cooper is
the author of The Road to Deer Run (Finalist in Next Generation Indie Book
Awards for Religious Fiction, Honorable Mention in Romance at 2011 Los Angeles
Book Festival), The Promise of Deer Run (Romance Winner for 2012 Los Angeles
Book Festival, Finalist in Religious Fiction for ForeWord Review Book of the
Year), and The Legacy of Deer Run (released in 2012). Cooper is also a
contributing writer for Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home
by Edie Melson. She is a wife, mom, Grammie to triplets, and a registered
nurse. Website: http://DeerRunBooks.com
Blogs:http://ReflectionsInHindsight.wordpress.com
every Friday
http://ColonialQuills.blogspot.com
the second Wednesday of every month
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