Simple Ways to Clean Up Your Manuscript
Go through and correct these small details. It might take awhile but it isn't like re-writing the emotion or the content. It's just correcting small things that will make your story read more smoothly. It's like correcting a spelling mistake. Easy
Take this list of ideas and have it beside you as you read each page of your text. Make the corrections each time you find the opportunity. Then be sure to save the correction you just made!
Do this with each paragraph, each sentence. Soon your eye will spot these really quickly and you'll get better and better at it. You'll have a more professional looking manuscript by just tidying these things up!
1. CONTRACTIONS-ifyou are using an apostrophe to put two words together to make one word, remember that the apostrophe takes the place of the letter or letters you are taking out. So be sure to delete that letter or letters.
I'am becomes I'm
2. CAPITAL LETTERS- use a capital letter to start the first word of every new sentence.
all I could do was worrybecomes All I could do was worry
3. BUT DO NOT USE A CAPITAL IN THE MIDDLE OF A SENTENCE-there are a few exceptions to this rule, but it's true almost all of the time.
The box is Locked away becomes The box islocked away
4. QUESTION MARKS-use a question mark at the end of a sentence if your character is asking a question out loud or thinking a question.
How did things get this far. becomes How did things get this far?
4. APOSTROPHE-use an apostrophe to show that someone owns something.
Carlas favorite blouse becomes Carla's favorite blouse
5. COMMA--use a comma when you're writing a short list in one sentence.
I grabbed my purse keys phone becomes I grabbed my purse, keys, phone.
6. EXTRA WORDS--sometimes when we revise, we keep in wording from an earlier draft by mistake. Go through and remove these.
I explained that I, that this was just for me becomes I explained that this was just for me
7. QUOTATION MARKS-- when you're telling the reader that someone said something (rather than showing this conversation in dialogue) you would generally use quotation marks even if the event happened in the past.
It must have worked because Justin said come in becomes
It must have worked because Justin said, "Come in."
When you do this, put a comma before what is quoted. And if the quotation comes at the end of your sentence, put the period inside the quote mark.
Do these small things then congratulate yourself!
Small things matter! Great job!
(c) Mary Rakow, 2017 All Rights Reserved.
Contact Mary:
(website for Rakow's novel THIS IS WHY I CAME)
(website for editing and mentoring)
Reading THIS IS WHY I CAME
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