proofreading: the last step always
Getting it Right the First Time is Rarer than You Think
It’s a rare one who writes right the first time, every time. And I am not that rare one. I used to think a poem needed to work the first time written, or it was meant to be trashed. I thought the writing process that we learned about in grade school was for the masses and that genius afforded the real writers to just write once. I got it into my head that I couldn’t pursue writing because I was one of the masses and not the genius. Happily, I found that is not the case.
Ritual is Only Part of the Process
Through the years, I’ve read a lot about writing. Not the definitive list, but a good few books and articles, by some profoundly talented people. One common thread I noticed in the fabric of all writing stories, is that the best of them—of us, work at writing. We work to refine our skills, to keep up with current communication trends, and we invent new techniques along the way that suit the way we write.
And, there are the rituals; stories abound of writers who sit, sweat, fret, fume, gnash, gnaw, rant, writhe, meditate, moan, exercise, chant, eventually yielding to release and renewal, to re-insert balance and bliss into their writing life. Many that I’ve read about have ridden this frantic magic carpet, some regularly, only to return to sanity and civility, after having given birth to their next great work.
Hands Off! Move Away from the Article
That’s a great deal of fitful frenzy to finalize a piece only to skip the last step. Working writers do put work down before proofreading. They take time away from a piece in order to clear it out of their heads. However, they don’t submit their writing before they return to it later with their fresh reviewer eyes.
Ted Kooser, Walter Mosley, Julia Cameron Natalie Goldberg, and Brian Clark all write about their rituals to get the writing done. They also have in common their healthy respect for proofreading.
Okay, So How Long Do I Wait?
The consensus on preferred length of time is days, weeks maybe, away from a piece of writing. One writer even suggested that you stay away the length of time it takes to forget you wrote that piece.
As copywriters, we generally don’t have that much time. When I can’t separate from a piece for days, I leave it for another article or two. Or even better, I’ll put mine down for someone else’s work, preferably on another topic. It sort of clears my mental palette.
And, To the Proof
When you return to your project with a fresh mind and eyes, be ready to let go of parts that really don’t work. When I return to a piece of writing, I’m looking for three things to be present:
- correct grammar
- clear content
- appropriate tone
I don’t want readers to struggle through improper usage and cryptic innuendo when the tone needs to be clear. If they’re still there, be ready to let go of the parts that really don’t work. After all, do you really want to claim, possess, and hoard a dud? I’m guessing no.
Take time to proofread. If you have to change it, just do it. It’s yours. You own it. And when published, it will stand for you, good or bad. Then proofread it again. Then, ask yourself these questions too:
- Does the content speak to the title?
- Did you say what you wanted?
- Can your audience hear you loud and clear, or will you need to be translated, interpreted, broken down?
Writing is hard work and the processes we use to get the job done vary widely. One constant we all must implement is proofreading. You have to hear the continuity in your work before you can expect anyone else to hear it. If you don’t get it, don’t let it go.
