I think it was Dee who recently gave this bit of advice and I decided to try it. Edited after original post: It was actually Karen who had blogged about learning it in a class she's taking. Which you'd think I would have recalled since I then asked her for a butt load of info on the class and instructor because I'm hoping to get her to teach a class for my chapter online. Anyway, Thanks, Karen!
She recommended changing the format of your ms while revising. For example, I compose in courier new 12 pt font, with double spaced lines. So I'm revising it single spaced, in times new roman.
The idea is that the new format will make the story look new to you and things will jump out easier.
I decided to do this for the first time with my second chapter of revisions and I was astonished at the difference it made! I saw so much more. And even better, it dropped the page count from 15 to 9 or 10, so it seemed shorter :-).
So I thought I'd pass along the idea to anyone who hadn't heard it.
It's so easy to miss things when you not only wrote the page, but have been staring at it for what seems like an eternity. Do you have any "tricks" to picking up things in revisions?
April
Also added after original post:
PS I'm leaving town this afternoon. My grandmother is sick and we're going to see her. So I won't be around this weekend and I didn't want anyone to wonder if my revisions had swallowed me whole :-)
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10 comments:
I love that idea! I'll have to try it. I used to always print it off - worked wonderfully - but that gets costly if your anything like me who makes a ton of changes - in the same area - uh, more then once shall we say. *grin* - so this is a great idea for me!
Cole
I've heard that and need to try it! Seems like it would be good for detailed editing at the end.
It was me. ;) Heard about it in that online workshop I just took. It's the best idea ever! Couldn't believe all the mistakes, etc. I caught!
Great idea April!
I don't do this, but one of my CPs hilights the heroine POV in one color, the heroes in another to make sure she's staying true to their voices.
Gosh, Karen... You'd think I would remember that, espeically since I emailed you to get info about the class. Thanks for tip. You've made my revisions rediculously easier!
Thanks for the reminder, because I'm just about to self-edit my Halloween story and the thought makes me wanna puke. :)
That is an awesome idea, especially since I hate printing and wasting paper.
I hope all is well with your Grandmother!
April, thanks for the idea! And sorry about your grandmother being sick. I hope she'll feel better soon!
TNR single space?? Your poor eyes!
Hope your grandmother is better.
Hope your grandmother feels better soon!
I print my stories out in TNR "book style" like an ARC. It saves on paper and I can see my mistakes easier.
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