I haven’t written much today, I’ll admit that. But I have done some editing, which makes me grudgingly happy.
It’s one of those things I know has to be done but I kind of resent doing because I want to get on with getting to know new characters rather than revisiting and rehashing those I’ve already, in a way, said goodbye to.
I’ve recently discovered Grammarly, which was recommended to me by an author friend.
I’m not convinced by it enough to purchase it – yet – but I’ve registered an account and as such, been able to download an add-on app which I use in Word to check over what I’ve already written.
Some of the suggested changes I agree with and face palm having missed myself during a re-read.
Others I disagree with. (It seems to like suggesting ‘suck’ instead of ‘sulk’, and ‘bulkier’ instead of ‘sulkier’. Not sure my lead character would appreciate being told she looked bulkier…!)
It is a good way of being made to re-read sentences and paragraphs that somehow made sense when I first wrote them but in hindsight maybe don’t make as much sense as I thought. It’s also highlighted I have a love affair with commas going on. I tend to overuse them a little as many writers are prone to do. (The urge to add a comma to that sentence, for example, was high.)
So if you’re looking for something to help you with your editing, I’d recommend signing up for an account and downloading the app. If nothing else, it makes you think about the words you’re putting on the page.
In other news, I’ve bought a couple of new books for my Kindle… Not conducive to making progress with the writing but sometimes, you’ve just gotta give in to the urge and read… 🙂
Alexa Preece 