Interesting Technique for Self-Editing - PDF

[MrPixel]

My editor/proofreader has been unable to keep up with my output recently, so I decided to try something different, something where I can see the stories in a different light - I print to PDF and read them in Acrobat instead of the word processing program. The format doesn't change, as it's the same page layouts, fonts and everything else, it just frames it differently, and doesn't have all the spellcheck and grammar highlighting that normally keep me out of trouble (or I ignore!).

So far it has been strangely successful. I am finding punctuation, phrasing and story flow problems that totally escaped my attention in the word processor. Just by changing the POV.

I keep the word processor active in the background for the changes, and after a few I re-PDF the file... and find more stuff. Somehow it seems to work. I'll take it.

 

[Rob_Royale]

That's interesting. I've had stories that I've proofread a dozen times, and then found more errors on my first read through after it's posted. This might help avoid that. Cool idea.

 

[MetaBob]

My editor/proofreader has been unable to keep up with my output recently, so I decided to try something different, something where I can see the stories in a different light - I print to PDF and read them in Acrobat instead of the word processing program. The format doesn't change, as it's the same page layouts, fonts and everything else, it just frames it differently, and doesn't have all the spellcheck and grammar highlighting that normally keep me out of trouble (or I ignore!).

So far it has been strangely successful. I am finding punctuation, phrasing and story flow problems that totally escaped my attention in the word processor. Just by changing the POV.

I keep the word processor active in the background for the changes, and after a few I re-PDF the file... and find more stuff. Somehow it seems to work. I'll take it.

I've done this for years; it's a highly useful part of my usual methodology. These days I use Literotica as one of my editing steps -- I write in Pages on a Mac, then when I think I've reached a point where I've gone over it several times and need a different perspective, loading it into Literotica's editor can give me a totally different breakdown of the text and I might catch a lot more. This was the case for one of my pieces earlier this week, in fact -- I was honestly shocked at how much I wanted to change.

Other techniques that have helped me include reading the text aloud, or printing the text out and reading it from the paper copy. I prefer not to do that as it wastes paper, but it works. Ideally I would use all three techniques.

 

[XerXesXu]

I use Win 11 with Edge on a desktop. To edit, I paste the text into ‘blank.page’ and use the A)) feature to have it read text-to-voice. I have the free Grammerly plug-in for Edge so before it’s read I can consider all Grammerly’s suggestions. I keep two windows open side by side and amend the original, in Word, as I go.

 

[BobbyLaker]

I use Win 11 with Edge on a desktop. To edit, I paste the text into ‘blank.page’ and use the A)) feature to have it read text-to-voice. I have the free Grammerly plug-in for Edge so before it’s read I can consider all Grammerly’s suggestions. I keep two windows open side by side and amend the original, in Word, as I go.

Great use of the 'tech'. I'll take a look at this though Chrome is usually my go-to browser.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I always change font, font size and colour regularly during edit. It forces the brain to see the words differently, as you actually wrote them, not as you think you wrote them.

I reckon I get down to 99% plus error free content - I use a rolling edit process, where before I start a writing session, I always read the previous 1000 words or so. Not only does it ensure story continuity, it also enables me to sustain the beat and rhythm, the ebb and flow of the prose.
I swear by it.

 

[jsmiam]

In support of changing how it looks to the eye (by where lines break), another possible approach to that same path, is changing the window size. The eye will stop making assumptions for a while. Then it’s time to change size/font/window size again.

 

[Jay142]

I use Grammarly because I can make corrections as I write. It doesn't catch every error so I proofread a story twice before I publish it.

 

[MetaBob]

I use Grammarly because I can make corrections as I write. It doesn't catch every error so I proofread a story twice before I publish it.

I don't use Grammarly during the writing process since it flags way too many false negatives. But when I'm done with my own editing, which can take multiple passes, both partial during the writing process and full passes once the draft is finished, I will do a final pass with Grammarly. It usually catches a few things that I missed, mostly doubled doubled words, along with the 90-95% of false negatives that it turns up.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I've done this for years; it's a highly useful part of my usual methodology. These days I use Literotica as one of my editing steps -- I write in Pages on a Mac, then when I think I've reached a point where I've gone over it several times and need a different perspective, loading it into Literotica's editor can give me a totally different breakdown of the text and I might catch a lot more. This was the case for one of my pieces earlier this week, in fact -- I was honestly shocked at how much I wanted to change.

Other techniques that have helped me include reading the text aloud, or printing the text out and reading it from the paper copy. I prefer not to do that as it wastes paper, but it works. Ideally I would use all three techniques.

Absolutely. I do the same. One thing I often catch in the editor that slips by in Pages is consistent spacing between paragraphs.

 

[MrPixel]

I don't use Grammarly during the writing process since it flags way too many false negatives.

This is my problem with using MSWord as my writing tool. It wants to flag too much in both spelling and grammar, and creates flow distractions when proofreading. It's especially bothersome around dialog in representations of how people really speak. The PDF thing is quick and easy, and given that I actually do have a professional proofreading background, the removal of the false negative flags and reframing of the page appearance allow for a smoother read.

That said, none of these tools captures little slip-ups like falling into the first-person trap when writing third-person. I caught one sentence in a story that went up this morning that had "we" instead of "they". I'm not going to fix it.

 

[MetaBob]

This is my problem with using MSWord as my writing tool. It wants to flag too much in both spelling and grammar, and creates flow distractions when proofreading. It's especially bothersome around dialog in representations of how people really speak.

This is one of my many problems with using MS Word at all.

 

[Djmac1031]

Not too up on all this "tech" stuff but definitely something to look into.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Sometimes, I print out the story, double-spaced and read it and mark what I catch. It seems easier for me to see my mistakes when they are printed on real paper.

 

[MrPixel]

Sometimes, I print out the story, double-spaced and read it and mark what I catch. It seems easier for me to see my mistakes when they are printed on real paper.

I used to do that for my proofreader/editor, and she has a real, live red pencil for it. The last time was a multi-chapter installment of my bigger story, and it was 150 pages. Yikes! Started the PDF thing for her to read the next one on her iPad, including showing her how to mark it up electronically.

She did okay with it, but she apparently reads slower on the tablet and it was taking forever... plus she wasn't finding anything to correct! So I put on my proofreader visor and discovered I could effectively proofread my own stuff with the POV change.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I always change font, font size and colour regularly during edit. It forces the brain to see the words differently, as you actually wrote them, not as you think you wrote them.

I reckon I get down to 99% plus error free content - I use a rolling edit process, where before I start a writing session, I always read the previous 1000 words or so. Not only does it ensure story continuity, it also enables me to sustain the beat and rhythm, the ebb and flow of the prose.
I swear by it.

I've started to use that technique again. The way I do it now may be a bit awkward. Usually I copy the text into a new Word Doc file and make, in effect, a new copy. I also have the original open, which will be in the submission window by that point. Thus I have to toggle back and forth between the two versions. Perhaps there is a better way to do it, but it seems to be working. I keep the "proofreading" files in a separate folder called "Color Proofreading." A dark red text seems to be the most readable. The font can be almost anything.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I've started to use that technique again. The way I do it now may be a bit awkward. Usually I copy the text into a new Word Doc file and make, in effect, a new copy. I also have the original open, which will be in the submission window by that point. Thus I have to toggle back and forth between the two versions. Perhaps there is a better way to do it, but it seems to be working. I keep the "proofreading" files in a separate folder called "Color Proofreading." A dark red text seems to be the most readable. The font can be almost anything.

I work within a single copy, which by definition is the master copy. I don't need to see what the changes "were", once they're made, they "are", so I only use one copy. If for whatever reason a file corrupts, which they have done two or three times, I email it to myself and save it with a new name, which always fixes the corruption. Multiple copies only uses up memory, I don't see a need to do that. I've not lost anything yet.

 

[Bazzle]

I found that Google docs finds different issues to word...so putting it in both finds some issues!

 

[stickygirl]

I've used a built in accessibility option on Apple that reads text back to me. It's a bit clunky but sometimes picks things up I might otherwise miss.

 

[MillieDynamite]

OMG, I do the same thing on Word. It's built into Word. The flow isn't exactly right, but missing words, clunky sentences, and other issues are easily heard by me where I might miss them reading it in my head.

EDIT: This was in answer to stickygirl's comments. Du!