Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Bumps and Hiccups

It would seem to me that with all the aids in software many of the more common writing errors would be a thing of the past. For example, using the spell check offered by this window, a potential error is highlighted and by placing the cursor at the end of the highlighted word, some alternative spellings are offered. Still, that doesn't address the situation where an incorrect word is used that is spelled correctly.

This brings us to the important point of proofreading your work. Part of the science of being a writer is turning out clean copy and nothing shows the work of an amateur quicker than poor grammar and spelling. However, proofreading is more than this. It also includes what I call "Critical Reading." This is reading for over use of adjectives, adverbs and modifying phrases. Many new writers can't seem to write a sentence without embellishing it with too much syrup. A good sentence expresses an idea in a chain which creates the perfect image of what the writer is trying to convey. It all goes back to "Subject, Verb, Object," and once that vision is coded in alpha characters, that move the idea from the symbols on a page into the imagination of the reader, the task is accomplished. Good writing is not impressing the reader with your fancy command of words but rather using the perfect word sequence, unadorned with unnecessary modifiers and clauses. Think of the reader's mind as a computer and you are a programmer feeding in the most elegant code possible.

Another common problem is over use of pronouns. This is particularly evident in dialogue (dialog) where the same word is repeated over and over again. "He" and "She" are the worst offenders and used in moderation are all but invisible. However, when used without restraint they get wearisome. Ideally, in a vignette, a word is used once but since this is impractical the same word should be used as infrequently as possible, without obsessing.

Finally a proof read should be done for sound. As any poet can tell you sound is important. The Bible says that in the beginning was the "Word." This implies that sound is as important as sight. When you proofread have your ear inclined for resonance.

The goal to keep in mind is allowing words to flow with optimal ease into the reader's bio-processor with a minimum of hick-ups. It's like driving down a smooth rather than a bumpy road. Make the readers mental suspension shake as little as possible.