Method: Wait.

You read that right. Okay, so I'm overlapping a bit with Tip #3: Take the Time, but the point stands. Waiting before you try to proofread your work is both a tip and a method.

I say that because waiting, giving yourself space to forget what you meant to write so you read what's actually there, is something all writers should ideally do. But waiting a few days (or months) before rereading that novel you wrote can actually function in itself as a proofreading method, too.

Even when I write articles for clients, I endeavor to get them done as soon as possible so I can sit on them for a few hours before doing the proofread. If I can't wait an hour per 400 words, I might as well not wait at all. And I don't. (I can write a 400-word article in an hour.)

In my last post I mentioned that I've finished a novel draft. I'm fully capable and willing to wait a few months before I read it again to make sure I give it the polish it's due. I don't have a publisher or deadlines yet, so I can afford that luxury.

And honestly, the idea that I might not always have the ability to wait due to a novel deadline scares me.

Sort of Back

Remember me? I used to write pretty nice blog posts, here, though I've been gone for about as long as this blog actually functioned.

New job starts tomorrow, so I'm turning my attention back onto this blog.

I also finished this draft of a fantasy novel, last week. Preliminary feedback from my friends (who happen to be excellent critics and have no qualms about telling me when I, uh, flunk) seems decent, so far. Lord willing, the next draft will only involve minor edits, and I might be bringing that already-written query letter out for air come the new year!

…Or I might wait another year and finish another project in the interim, then go back to this one with fresh eyes. I've not decided yet. I'd kinda like to have a few done by the time I query, so I can have minimum "down" time if one or two can't sell. I do write odd stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if it's hard to find someone willing to do anything more than look askance at it, like people tend to look at me when I tell them the premises. (Some even have that wide-eyed get-away response. No joke.)

Eh, well. I'll be attemting to resurrect the Wed/Sat postings for now, and pick up this month finishing the proofreading tips… assuming I can find my notes to remember everything I was planning to post. *grin* In either case, I'm working on post backups.