Category: Proofreading and Editing

Posts covering proofreading and Editing

What is a proofreader? Why do I need one?

August 4, 2023 / Emma / 0 Comments

What is proofreading?

You might be wondering what a proofreader actually is, and what they do.

Proofreading is one of the final stages of the publishing process. The term comes from the traditional publishing industry. The text is written and edited, then typeset: typed and formatted in the form it is to be printed and published. This is the ‘proof’ or ‘page proof’. The proofreader’s job is checking these proofs, to ensure there are no errors left after editing and typesetting.

Proofreading tasks vary significantly, depending on the type of text and the method of publishing. Proofreaders will check spelling, grammar, typoes, style, formatting and captions and illustrations. Factual errors are checked then corrected or queried. Proofreading involves all of these checks.

Isn’t that editing?

Proofreaders are not there to revise the text, they will try to keep changes and revisions to a minimum. Proofreaders are looking for obvious errors, things that are objectively wrong. Editing involves revising the text and may include making changes that are more subjective to improve the flow of the text. Most people working as proofreaders will be editors as well.

Because the proofreading stage is late in the process, therefore changes must be minimised. Due to this, only the parts that need changed should be changed, otherwise the publication is delayed and costs increase. We don’t want this to happen, because that is not helpful for the client. Only change what is blatantly wrong.

Can’t I do this myself?

Yes, you can. However, it is easy to miss mistakes in your own writing. The reason for this is because when you are familiar with a piece of text, you will skim-read it because your brain already knows what it’s supposed to say. So you can easily miss mistakes. A proofreader usually works ‘blind’, i.e. they have not seen the text before they work on it. So they are much better at spotting errors.

You should check your own work, it’s a good habit to have. But you might miss typos and errors, so having someone else look over your work will ensure nothing slips by. That’s where a professional proofreader comes in. Especially if you are publishing something like a book.

Can anyone be a proofreader?

Yes, pretty much. However, it is important you have a good command of the English language (or whatever language you’re proofreading in). You need to know the grammar rules and spelling of most words. If you intend to work as a proofreader, it is strongly recommended you invest in formal training. There’s a lot of rules you need to know. There are a number of avenues you can go down to get training.

I studied a proofreading and copy-editing course at the College of Media and Publishing. I am currently working through the first proofreading course with the Chartered Institute of Proofreaders and Editors. There are other options out there as well.

Clichés are Cliché

July 26, 2023 / Emma / 0 Comments

What is a cliché?

You hear it a lot, especially when talking about writing or producing media. So what are they? Clichés are phrases or ideas that are so overused that they are now boring and unoriginal, so the phrase has lost meaning or become a stereotype. Unlike tropes, which are story elements commonly used and liked by people, such as a ‘happily ever after’ at the end of a romance. Are cliches cliche?

You can spell cliche with or without the accented ‘e’ by the way. It’s a word that has its roots in French. Many consider cliches tired and unoriginal, and you will be told to avoid them at all costs. I bet you can probably think of hundreds of them, a lot of them come from old sayings and idioms. Here’s a few examples:

“Think outside the box.”
“There’s plenty of fish in the sea.”
“Ignorance is bliss.”
“Good things come to those who wait.”
“Beating a dead horse.”

How to know if it’s a cliché

The way to tell is if you hear a saying and it makes you sigh or roll your eyes, it’s probably a cliche. They had meaning once, but overuse means they just don’t have any impact anymore. Some have been misused for so long, people have forgotten the original meaning. Like this one:

“Curiosity killed the cat.”

It’s a warning against asking too many questions or looking into things you shouldn’t. Curiosity is dangerous, so you might not like what you find.

A fun fact, the original proverb was “Care killed the cat.” This means worry is detrimental to you. A different meaning, isn’t it? The earliest printed reference is found in Every Man in His Honour by Ben Jonson written in 1598, and again, a year later by Shakespeare in Much Ado About Nothing.

The current version is more recent, it was notably used in 1916 in a newspaper report about a cat who had climbed up a chimney and gotten stuck, resulting in a fall that did, in fact, kill the cat.

Are cliches always bad?

Well, mostly, yes they are bad. Readers see cliches as lazy, so it will put them off reading what you’ve written. Cliches indicate you lack imagination and are unable to use your own creativity to say what you want to say in your own way. Avoiding using them shows you can think of other ways to say the same thing, and it therefore improves the impact of your writing. There are occasions where using a cliche can help you connect with your audience, by provoking that familiarity. Still, I would advise caution.

Subverting cliches

The other thing to do is to subvert cliches. Introduce a cliche but then change it around to make it more interesting. One of my favourite uses of this is, from a classic video game by Valve, Portal 2. Every syllable of dialogue in that game is absolutely amazing, but one of the best monologues is Cave Johnson’s recording around the halfway point, affectionately known as the ‘lemon rant’.

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A video by Ignis on YouTube of the Lemon Rant with typography.

The context is that he has become seriously ill by crushing up moon dust, and he records a message talking about how he plans to make the best of the situation, ending with the cliched phrase: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” A bit later, he comes back to it, and goes on a rant, stating that “When life gives you lemons, don’t make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back. Get mad! I don’t want your damn lemons! What am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life’s manager…”

I won’t transcribe the whole rant here, but I’ll link to YouTube so you can listen to it all for yourself. Or, better yet, play the game if you haven’t already, it’s worth it for the writing alone. The point is, the original cliche is telling you that when bad things happen, you just have to make the best of what you have. Turning it around on itself, the character is saying “No, I’m not accepting my lot. I’m going to do something about it.”

Conclusion

So, you know how to identify cliches, and why they are generally to be avoided like the plague. Yeah, I know exactly what I did there. They are everywhere, but using them in your writing can really turn your reader off and make them lose interest in what you’re writing. So use them sparingly, if at all, or find a better way to say what you want to say. Or give them a good twist like the writers on Portal 2 did.

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Should You Edit As You Go?

July 19, 2023 / Emma / 0 Comments

People always tell you not to edit until you’ve finished the first draft. Is this true? Or is there something to be said for editing as you go? Let’s have a look at the pros and cons of each option.

Edit As You Go

Pros of editing as you go

Your first draft will be better, giving you a better starting point for your first round of editing.
You can catch plot holes, mistakes and other aspects that don’t work and prevent them becoming a problem later.
If you realise you’ve made a mistake or something doesn’t work, you don’t have to worry about remembering to fix it when you go to edit your work.
If you are a ‘plotter’ and you already have your story outline before you start your draft, you can make sure your scenes are following your plan.
If you have hit writer’s block, rereading and editing what you’ve written might help you get your flow back

Cons of editing as you go

Editing as you go can be more time consuming and your first draft will take longer.
It’s easy to get bogged down trying to fix one part of your writing and stop making progress.
Perfectionism might lead to you losing inspiration and getting tired of your work, leading you to lose focus and put you off finishing the draft.
You might not save time, as when you come to do the first full edit of your draft, you find yourself rewriting or undoing a lot of the edits you have already made.

Not Editing Until the End

Pros of not editing as you go

It keeps your creativity flowing. Not stopping to revise keeps you in the zone and allows you to freely get all your ideas out without hesitating or reviewing.
If you are a ‘pantser’, stopping to organise and add logical structure can really derail you and drop your motivation.
All first drafts will need editing once completed, even if you have edited some as you go, waiting until the end to edit can help make sure the whole piece is cohesive and that it all works.
Some writers think this approach is more efficient, because you can focus on one part at a time. It stops your perfectionism slowing down your progress.
It gives you a chance to take a break from the work. Taking time away to do something else allows you to come back to edit with fresh eyes, making it easier to spot things you want to change.

Cons of not editing as you go

The first round of editing can take longer. You might find yourself having to make a large amount of changes to tidy everything up.
It can become overwhelming. If you have not made any edits as you go, the prospect of editing the whole piece can be a lot to think about and seem insurmountable.
You might be reluctant to make major changes or remove parts because you’ve become so fond of the story. You might really love a scene you’ve written but it doesn’t fit the story any more and you know you really should remove it but you don’t want to.

So Should I Edit as I Go?

Honestly, there’s no one right answer to this. Some people will tell you one option is better than the other, but they both have drawbacks. It is also possible to do a bit of both. Realistically, even if you have been editing as you go, you will still need to do an overall edit once the draft is complete. So there’s not one correct answer.

I recommend doing what works best for you. Everyone’s process is different and unique to them. How you like to write, if you are a ‘plotter’ or a ‘pantser’ or a bit of both. If too much editing will stifle your creative flow, you would be better waiting until you’re finished to start editing. If you have realised you want to change something, and it’ll bother you until you do, maybe make the edit while it’s on your mind. If you’re new, experiment a bit with both options until you find the method that works best for your brain and your work.

Need help with editing or proofreading your work? Take a look at what I offer here.

As always, happy writing! Discuss your thoughts in the comments. Until next time!