Editing & Proofreading Cheat Sheet

Editing  & Proofreading Cheat Sheet

– A lot of questions I receive revolve around editing and proofreading, so I decided to make an extensive guide to editing your own writing. I collaborated with some amazing friends on this post so this is dedicated to them as well as all of you. I hope you find it useful. Enjoy!

Know The Difference: Editing vs. Proofreading

Editing is about the content, proofreading is about the technical detail and accuracy. Once you know the difference and you separate the two into different tasks, going through and actually doing it will seem less daunting. Deciding which to tacking first depends on what you’re like when you edit, but if you struggling with focusing on actually improving the content because you get distracted by grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, then proofreading first may be a good idea. 

Be Intentional With Your Vocabulary

Avoid adverbs

Be frugal with unique adjectives

Only use dialogue tags when absolutely necessary

Be mindful of overused words

Take the time to find the right words

The words you choose can make all the difference so pay special attention to them.

Just Keep Snipping

A basic rule to editing that people often forget it, if it doesn’t serve a purpose, you should cut it out. A short book that is amazing all the way through is better than a long book that is redundant. Don’t worry about leaving your readers in the dark or not having enough content. As you edit, you’ll find ways and places in which to input more information.

Flow & Rhythm

This is the part where you make sure the writing itself sounds how you want it to. It’s important to read your writing aloud during this stage. Some things to pay attention to regarding flow and rhythm:

sentence length/variation

sentence structure

syllables and how they fit together

how your writing sounds out loud

Eloquence

Say it once and say it clearly. Redundancy bores readers so quickly, so when putting information forward, be clear, concise, and don’t add fluff. You don’t need to write a whole paragraph about how a character feels in a situation. It’s important to give the reader just enough to read between the lines.

Grammar

Common Grammar Mistakes To Look For

Subject-verb agreement errors

Sentence Fragments

Missing Comma After Introductory Element

Misusing The Apostrophe With “Its”

No Comma In A Compound Sentence

Misplaced Or Dangling Modifier

Vague Pronoun Reference

Wrong Word Usage

Run-On Sentence

Superfluous Commas

Lack Of Parallel Structure

Sentence Sprawl

Comma Splice

Colon Mistakes

Split Infinitives

List from here x {Explains these further and more in depth}

Improper Use of Phrases

“could have” not “could of”

“My friends and I” not “me and my friends” {If you take away “my friends” or “I”, or one of the nouns in a sentence in general, the sentence should still make sense}

“I couldn’t care less” not “I could care less”. This should be a no-brainer.

etc.. I could go on.

Familiarize yourself with these common mistakes and avoid making them at all costs. It’s also helpful to have someone read over it and let you know when they find issues with phrases you used. Please be attentive to these mistakes because making them can destroy your credibility as a writer.

Utilize The Senses

If you’re describing something in your writing, you should be slipping in words and little details that appeal to the reader’s senses, When editing, look for opportunities to slip in how a place smells, how a food tastes, how something feels to the touch, etc. It’s unbelievable how much this enhances your story.

Punctuation & Format

Punctuation Rules In English

the period (or full stop in British English)

the comma

the exclamation mark

the question mark

the colon

the semicolon

the quotation mark

the apostrophe

the hyphen and the dash

parentheses and brackets

Source x

When proofreading and marking up your manuscript, it can save a lot of time and energy if you use marks instead of actually write out everything, so here is a little chart I found that may be useful to you:

Other Things To Look Out For

Make sure you know who is talking

Keep tense consistent

Vary the tone from scene to scene

Run-on sentences

Inconsistencies in story details

Plot holes

Causes and effects of events are explained

Facts and technical details {Make sure you’ve researched them well}

Deviations from established background (know your story really really well and make sure your reader does too)

General Tips

Go in assuming that your work is full of errors. Maybe it’s not, but it’s better to be prepared for the worst and solve the issues now rather than when it’s too late

DO NOT BE SENTIMENTAL. Yes, easier said than done, but it’s possible. 

Make the text less recognizable to yourself in order to catch details you may not otherwise.

Print out your manuscript and physically write out the changes.

Read your writing out loud. Sometimes writing looks like it makes sense, but in reality sounds wrong. 

Do it in short periods over time so that you don’t inevitably get lazy with paying attention to little details

Keep in mind that editing usually takes longer than actually writing the draft because it is less fluid and requires more thought and problem solving.

Don’t rely on spelling and/or grammar checking software; they’re not always correct and can easily misinterpret what you’re trying to get across. 

Check for a single error at a time. It may be time consuming and tedious but it’s more effective than the alternative.

Give yourself time and read slowly through it multiple times

Split up large chunks of text to make it easier to handle. Don’t go through your whole manuscript page by page as if you were just reading it as a book. Go chapter by chapter or scene by scene or even sentence by sentence.

If something seems off, investigate it. Don’t take a chance and leave it be. If you’re stumped, highlight it and have someone else look over it.

Have a strategy. Maybe not at first, especially if you don’t extensively edit your work regularly, but with time you’ll find what works for you and what doesn’t. Create your own system and use it to save yourself some time and confusion.

Support Wordsnstuff!

Request A Writing Help Post/Themed Playlist/Writing Tips!

Send Me Poetry To Feature On Our Instagram!

Receive Updates & Participate In Polls On Our Twitter!

Like us and share on Facebook!

Read More On Our Masterlist & See our Frequently Asked Questions!

Tag What You Want Me To See With #wordsnstuff!

Participate in monthly writing challenges!

HEY, Romance Writers!

A few followers have asked for tips on writing romance into their stories or as the basis of their stories. Here’s a list of sources that might help out.

Romance:

Top 10 Tips on How to Write Romance

How to Plot a Romance Novel

How to Build a Romance Thread in Your Story

9 Romance Writing Mistakes to Avoid

An Antidote to “Love at First Sight”

6 Ways to Get Your Readers Shipping Like Crazy 

Seven Great Sources of Conflict for Romances 

7 (Common Types of) Female Love Interests

20 Tips for Writing Lovable Romance Novel Heroes

Six Steps to Stronger Character Arcs in Romances

How do I write an interracial couple accurately? (ask)

Romantic Development/Compatibility (ask) 

80+ Barriers to Love: A List of Ideas to Keep Romantic Tension High 

50 Conversations To Have Before You Get Married 

Bad Romance:

Removing the Creeps From Romance

- Why The Surprise Kiss Must Go

10 Signs You May Be in an Emotionally Abusive Relationship

Edward & Bella Are In An Abusive Relationship 

General Tips for Writing Characters Love Interests:

5 Tips to Help You Introduce Characters

How to Write from a Guy’s POV

Writing Awesome Male Characters: What You’re Doing Wrong

How Do You Describe a Character?

4 Ways to Make Readers Instantly Loathe Your Character Descriptions

3 Signs Your Story’s Characters Are Too Perfect 

Is a Quirk Just What Your Character Needs?

Six Types of Character Flaws

Is Your Character Optimistic Or Pessimistic?

5 Ways to Keep Characters Consistent

9 Simple and Powerful Ways to Write Body Language

10 Body Language Tricks for Deeper Characterization

Describing People Part Three: Gestures, Expressions, and Mannerisms

33 Ways To Write Stronger Characters 

Conveying Character Emotion 

Distinguishing Characters in Dialogue 

How to Make Readers Love an Unlikable Character…  

Characters: Likability Is Overrated

How to Create Powerful Character Combos

Plus:

Five Signs Your Story Is Sexist: Part 1, Part 2

Five Signs Your Story Is Sexist – Against Men

Hi! How does one go about getting a book published? I promise I don't have crucifix nail nipples in anything I write, though I do lean toward horror.

That depends, are you wanting to go traditional publishing, or self pub?

Trad pub you finish writing and editing, and start shopping around for an agent who will then find you a publisher who works with you through their editing and handles the cost of print and distribution.

Remember: you do not pay agents or publishers. Agents take their fee after they've sold the book and you get your initial payout from the publisher buying the book. After that the publisher takes their cut from sales.

Vanity presses take money from you, avoid them.

For self pub, there are many more steps, so I'm going to list them as bullet points:

Finish your manuscript.

If you can, invest in editing and formatting. If you're not sure what kind of editing you need, developmental vs copyedit vs basic proofing, you might want to ask for a manuscript assessment so the editors can identify any problem areas that they can help you with, or you can work on by yourself before coming back for the actual editing process.

Formatting between ebook and paperback is different, and if you want the finished product to look polished, I'd suggest hiring a formatter-- some editors do this as part of their services. You can also learn to do this yourself. I opted to hire it out.

Cover design. There are places you can buy covers, or you can make them yourself. ebook covers are fairly straightforward, paperbacks/hardbacks will require you to work with a template based on the size of your book (including page count) which places like Amazon and Ingram Spark provide.

Decide where you want to distribute. Amazon is fairly straight forward. You just make a KDP account and follow the prompts.

If you want to go wide, use www.draft2digital.com they will distribute globally for you with a single upload. You should still upload directly to Amazon and Barnes & Noble as they pay better. Otherwise just use d2d.

I'd also suggest reading Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran, who really breaks down the process of indie digital publishing. You can read it for free via his website: https://davidgaughran.com/books/lets-get-digital-how-to-self-publish/

For paperbacks you can use Amazon and Ingram, though Draft2Digital also just launched their paperback distribution service as well. I haven't used them yet, but I will be for the second Phangs book, so I'll report back on how that goes. (They also work with an audiobook distributor if you ever want to do audio.)

If we want to talk marketing and creating an online presence, you should strongly consider having an author website you can send people to to find all your work in one place. If you can't afford to do that, make sure you have a strong presence on your preferred social media platform and make sure your buy links are in a visible place.

If you want to talk more specifics, then I can go into more detail, but otherwise that's kinda it. You need a KDP account, a d2d account and completed files to upload. The rest is marketing and working on new books.

Hope that helps!

Creating a character

Creating characters is one of the most important things to do while writing. Characters can make or break a story. No matter how good the idea, if the characters are flat, people are not going to keep reading. Here are some posts to help you create interesting and memorable characters.

How to create a character - Basic Overview

Let's create a character! - Writing Game

How to make a character unique

How to write a bilingual character

How to write a character with glasses

How to use nicknames

List of names

Character Study

Fatal Character Flaws

Good traits gone bad

Physical Reactions

Giving the reader butterflies with your characters

Love Language - Showing, not telling

Love Language - Showing you care

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

A (Non-Exhaustive) List of (Red-ish) Flags In Writing

Particularly when writing people with a marginalized identity that you don't hold, it can be hard to tell what is an issue if you're not familiar with it. Research should be your main reference point, but sometimes you need to go with your instincts.

Here is a very non-exhaustive list of things that should flag to you that you need to take another look at it and do some more research:

Is a person/culture/group presented as "backwards", irrational, un-modern, or uniformly aggressive?

Am I using coded language (e.g. thug, slut, slow) to describe a character?

Am I associating sexual habits or preferences with a certain race, religion, gender, or class?

Am I dismissing or making light of devestating historical events that appear or are referenced in the story?

Am I prioritizing the rehabilitation of individuals or groups who commited violence, particularly at the expense of those who experienced that violence?

Are my characters, particularly my marginalized characters, embodying stereotypes with no other characteristics?

Do my marginalized characters exist simply so I can say I have included marginalized characters?

Am I applying every marginalization to one character so that I don't have to "deal with it" in other characters?

Do marginalizations, particularly disabilities, only appear when convenient?

Do marginalized characters, particularly Characters of Color, exist only to guide or care for white characters?

Resources for Screenwriting

Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist

–

Format & Structure

How to Write a Screenplay: Example & Tips

Formatting a Screenplay

Screenplay Format: Everything You Need to Know

What Does the Screenwriting Rule “Show, Don’t Tell” Mean?

How Long Should a Screenplay Be?

What Font Is Best for Writing a Screenplay?

What Are the Right Screenplay Margins?

How Should You Format a Screenplay?

How to Format a Screenplay Step 1: Scene Headings

How to Format a Screenplay Step 2: Action

How to Format a Screenplay Step 3: Character

How to Format a Screenplay Step 4: Dialogue

How to Format a Screenplay Step 5: Parentheticals

What Should Not Be Included in a Screenplay?

What Is the Difference Between a Spec Script vs. a Shooting Script?

What Are the Best Screenwriting Software Programs?

5 Reasons Screenplay Story Structure is Important

How to Structure a Screenplay: 7-Step Script Structure Guide

Structure of a Screenplay: Everything You Need To Know

Screenwriting Plot & Story Structure

How To Master The Structure Of Script Writing

Screenplay Structure Examples

10 Screenplay Structures That Screenwriters Can Use

Screenplay Structure - Screenwriting Tips

Character for The Screen

On Creating Characters

5 Tips for Writing Better Characters into Your Screenplay

30 Days of Tips for Character Development

Improving Your Screenplay's Characterization

The Six Stages of Character Development in Screenplays

The 10 Critical Steps of Good Character Development

Plot for The Screen

The Art Of Plotting Your Story & Screenplay Structure

Understanding and Implementing Plot Structure for Films and Screenplays

Strengthen Your Plot through Character Creation

Plot Structure Tools to Help You Master the Art of Dramatic Writing

Screenplay Plot Development

A Field Guide to Screenplay Plot Points

The 5 Key Turning Points of All Successful Screenplays

Screenwriting By Genre

50 Best Screenplays to Read in Every Genre

Drama

Drama Script Writing Tips

6 Essential Traits of a Great Drama Screenplay

Writing a Dramatic Script: Five Key Techniques

20 Best Drama Script Examples

Comedy

How to Write a Comedy Screenplay

The 4 Rules of Comedy Writing For Screenwriters

Five Screenwriting Lessons from the Geniuses of TV Comedy

11 Rules For Comedy Screenwriting

How to Write a Comedy Script

Writing a Comedy Screenplay

How to Write Comedy Scripts with Laugh Out Loud Dialogue

Science Fiction

How to Write a Compelling Science Fiction Movie

5 Things To Know Before Writing That Science Fiction Script

131 Sci-Fi Scripts That Screenwriters Can Study

How to Write a Sci-Fi Screenplay

Writing the Science Fiction Film

What Bad Science Fiction Can Teach Us About Writing Screenplay Description

Writing the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Screenplay

Fantasy

How to BEGIN Writing a Fantasy Script: 7 Great Ways into the Fantasy Genre

The Do's and Don'ts of Writing A Fantasy TV Pilot

How To Write A Fantasy World Based on Your Experiences

10 Fantasy Scripts You Must Analyze

Historical

Seven Keys to Writing Historical Fiction

Screenwriting and Historical Accuracy

Historical Drama Screenwriting: The Difference Between Real And Reel

History In Action: Writing the Period Piece Script

How to Achieve Truth in Historical Storytelling

How to Write Period Drama

Action

How to Write Great Action Sequences in Your Screenplay

8 Tips To Writing Great Action Lines

What Every Screenwriter Should Know About Action Writing

How to write Action Description

How To Write Action In The Middle Of Dialogue In A Screenplay

Writing the Action Script

25 Best Action Screenplays You Can Read

Romance

How to Write A Romantic Comedy Screenplay

How To Create Engaging Romance In Movies

7 Screenwriting Lessons From Quentin Tarantino's True Romance

Screenwriters: Write A RomCom

How to Write a Love Interest That Audiences Believe In

Your Romantic Screenplay Starts Here

5 Screenwriting Tips from the Godmothers of Rom-Com

Thriller

The 13 Steps For Writing Your Next Thriller Screenplay

Jordan Peele's Advice for Writing A Thriller

How to Write a Captivating Psychological Thriller

What You'll Find in All Great Thrillers

Thriller Scripts to Read

How to Write A Thriller Screenplay

Horror

Effective Writing Tips to Make Your Horror Movie Terrify Audiences

8 Horror Screenwriting Tips

Writing The Perfect Horror Screenplay

Effective Horror Films

How to Write a Great Horror Movie

Horror Writing Tips for Fiction & Film

Nine Simple Lessons for Writing Effective Horror Screenplays

The Horror Spec: How to Write a Horror Movie

– If you enjoy my blog and wish for it to continue being updated frequently and for me to continue putting my energy toward answering your questions, please consider Buying Me A Coffee, or pledging your support on Patreon, where I offer early access and exclusive benefits for only $5/month.