I would have to admit that this is one of my main weaknesses when it comes to writing. I write much like the way I talk. I have this tendency to just write down my thoughts as they enter my mind. As a result, sometimes my writing becomes a bit “loose on the edges†if you know what I mean. This is one reason proofreading came into existence.
Whether you are writing for a personal blog or whatever kind of blog, it is always good to come up with “polished†entries – that is, entries without errors, grammatical or otherwise. Proofreading is not that hard to do, you just need to take some time to do it. Here are a few tricks that can help you get the work done.
After writing, stop for a while, take a break and then go over your work once more. The thing that complicates proofreading is the fact that you wrote it yourself. Sometimes, tiny details and errors may be overlooked because of this. That is why it would be good to put some distance between your work and yourself for a bit before going over it again.
Try reading your work aloud. You just might be surprised at how well this trick works. Reading your work aloud makes you realize things that you might not have seen while reading silently. There are also some good “readers†you can find online so that you won’t have to be the one to read aloud. Many of the software is for free, you just have to download and sit back and listen to the computer read your documents aloud.
(to be continued)
Originally posted on August 28, 2007 @ 11:55 pm
