Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to catch your own typos in a chat program or online community such as Facebook or AIM? Did you ever write something, hit send and then wish you could take it back only to find it was too late? There sit your words on the screen in front of you, staring at you like bugs eyeing a piece of meat.
You might search in vain for a delete button and then look for a chair to crawl under. At least in the electronic format, you are not face to face (right away, anyway) with the recipient. Regardless, you are making an impression.
Thanks to a really nice new friend, I am sold on hiring a professional editor for my latest work in progress, that is, after my writing collegues take a chop or two at it. I've played the role of a fool in some ways.
Shall I talk more of the three Re's that make you feel ridiculous? Re-read, Re-treat and Re-write. Make that four! Re-cover. Yes, I am re-hashing the last post and eating some of my words.
Yesterday was profitable for me in the writing department. I managed over 3, 000 words in a couple of hours. Prior to then, writer's block had hit me on head and left me numb when it came to working on my novel. I was able to write small things, articles, blogs, short story content and the like but whenever I opened my novel file, I became stuck like a fly on tar paper. Then, I experienced a breakthrough as I re-read a chapter of "Calling Him Lord" that I had written ages ago. Boy, were there typos, incongruent ideas and lots of run-ons that were somehow missed in the first edit. I ate more words. Delete! Good bye to about 1000 words.
Next came the revelation, a whole new line of action. My characters went their ways-ways they had not previously taken, but ways that brought them to a better intersection with the plot. Such fun! But, just as I missed things in the first edit, so I shall likely in the second or third.
If I have to sell my right arm to do it, I shall hire an editor!
What's on tonight's menu? I don't know. Maybe more humble pie.
P.S. If you read my previous blog called "Ghosts of Manuscripts Past", you might like this website which helps you find repetitious words and phrases in your text. I tried it. It's fascinating. You feed your words into the little text box and it spits out an itemization of over-used words and phrases.
Check it out: http://www.writewords.org.uk/phrase_count.asp
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3 comments:
It happens to me all the time! I sent out a submission today and I double checked it a zillion times for accuracy.
Good for you on your growing wordcount!!
My co host is also my editor and I highly recommend her! I have worked with a few editors in my time and she is the easiest and best I have ever worked with. She catches everything, even more than my own picky husband! And she never changes the flavor of my writing. She is very reasonable so she won't take your entire right arm. You can just give her your pinky. LOL Just kidding! LMK if you need her email addy!
Thank you. Thank you, Terri and JoJo.
JoJo, Thanks for the heads-up on your co-host. I have her on my facebook friends list because she is a friend of my friend. LOL.
Blessings to both of you.
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