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Some people are just great at writing, whether it is an email, a novel, or a business plan. If you are not the most confident writer, read on. Here are some tips for you to help with your writing Font size Some experts say that the font of your document should be Times New Roman, as that is easier to read when there is a lot of text. Font size should be 12 pt, and spacing between lines 1.5 Spellcheck - computer vs human After doing the computerized spellcheck, read again to see the things the computer doesn't know, i.e. the difference between ‘their', ‘there', and ‘they're'. Changes If you change a word at the last minute, make sure to read the whole sentence again, or even the paragraph, as it might be possible that you changed the intended meaning with just one word. Breathe Let your story breathe … Give it a break, then proofread it. This will allow you to view your writing with fresh eyes. Zoom In Zoom into the document to make the writing larger – DO NOT change the font size! That will change any formatting you had done previously or that you are doing now. Reading Read out loud – if it sounds weird, there is probably something wrong and needs to be changed. Also, you immerse yourself even more into your story and find subtle inconsistencies. Comma, semicolon, full stop
Wear Out Your Dictionary Once you have a dictionary, use it as much as possible. When you sit down to write and need a particular word, pause to consider the key ideas you want to convey. Start with a word that's in the ballpark. Look it up and go from there, exploring synonyms, roots, and usage notes. Be Patient With Your Writing If you can't find the right word for one sentence, check out the internet and see if you can find it. Even then, a word may be elusive, refusing to emerge from the mind one day only to arise from the subconscious the next. Be prepared to rewrite today what you revised yesterday. I hope these suggestions help you to be as confident in your writing as possible.  An Example of Line-Editing and Copy-Editing on the same original passage Original: "The rising light of the sun was quickly brightening. Dawn was turning into morning. Alex finished reading her copy of the "New York Times" and put the paper down on the table, and then grabbed her ipod and put on Beyoncé's Crazy in Love and went out for her mourning run." The result after a line-editor has helped the author to rework it so that it reads more fluidly: "The dawn light brightened, giving way to morning. Alex tossed the "New York Times" onto the table, grabbed her ipod, and then put on Beyoncé's Crazy in Love as she headed out for her morning run." Notice, the line-editor caught and fixed a couple of technical errors, i.e. the typo on the second use of "morning". The result after the passage has been copy-edited for grammar and usage: "The dawn light brightened, giving way to morning. Alex tossed the New York Times onto the table, grabbed her iPod, and put on Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love" as she headed out for her morning run." The order in which editing and proofreading should be done:
 If you need help with any of these, contact me :)
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AuthorHi, I am Marion of Marion Metz Solutions Archives
September 2024
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