Self-Editing Checklist
I compiled this some time ago to use as a word rake when I found most of the grammar programs out there were great at identifying words, but not great at identifying which words should be dealt with in a line edit. Feel free to use it. I print one out and keep it for line editing.
1) -ing (Participle phrases used as adverbs have a tendency to be problems. Check 'em.)
2) to (Checking for infinitives. Not all are a problem, but they should be looked at. A check for to will also bring up prepositions and all kinds of words. I mark each infinitive that shows up)
3) has/ have/had (Check your perfect and your pluperfect. Watch out for I've, he'd, she'd, you'd. Immediacy is important in creative writing, and these words create distance.)
4) that/there (That--check for fillers. Usually that shows up as a coordinating conjunction for me. Sometimes it can be eliminated. Sometimes it just means I need to thing about whether I want a phrase or a second main clause. There--expletive constructions can and should be eliminated. Obviously, you would leave there when you need to identify a spot.)
5) was/were (Not always your friends, and they can be like ticks in a manuscript. They get used all the time in description. "Her hair was red and curly and fell to her shoulders." Compare to "Her red hair curled from the crown of her head to her shoulders.") BUT...BE VERY CAREFUL when it comes to working with these words, though. Was and were may be indicators of passive voice, but they are also being verbs and they are tense markers for the past progressive tense. (Was walking to the store). Don't go nuts cutting. Figure out your usage and go from there.
Going to add something here, because I see this problem with was/were usage a lot more now that grammar software flags "was" as passive. Was has several uses in a sentence. 1) It can function as a linking verb. (Dwyn was a dwarf first, a Dragon second. ) 2) as a tense marker, helping verb, for the past progressive tense (He was running before he knew it) and 3) a marker for passive voice (He was thrown over the chair by Rachet). Grammar software flags them all as passive. I find it much more helpful to mark them in an MS and check them by hand.
6) -ly (Adverbs should be used with care.)
7) -hear, see, saw, feel, felt, think, thought, know, knew, smell, taste, notice, wonder, get, got, look (Character filters. They create distance from the character and the writing. Compare: "He heard the bell ring and woke up" to "The bell rang, an iron note that jarred him awake.")
-then, up, down, out, in, off, over, just, some, very, just, even (Throwaway words. Sometimes you need them. Sit down vs sit up. Many times you don't. Stood up. Can you stand any other way?)
9) -eye, ear, hand, finger, head, chest, leg, foot, mouth (Body count. Eyes really don't crawl across the landscape, and those constructions can go. But sometimes writing becomes littered with body parts doing the action. Some is fine. Too much needs to be checked out.)
10) -of the, by the, on the, to the, in the (Prep check. We all have our pet prepositional phrases. Be watchful for embedded prepositional phrases. The longer your preposition descriptions get, the more likely you have not painted a clear picture and were trying to use more paint to cover it up. Revise as needed.)
11) -good, bad, high, low, small, tall, big, large, little, narrow, powerful, beautiful (All of these are generic terms. They don't always enhance your description. Find your favorites and hunt for them. See if they can be eliminated in favor of something more specific.)
12) -arrive, make, made, took, take, put, place, -ion (Possible fog makers. They tend to be used in tell sections, and don't give a lot of information. Check them.)
13) -initial conjunction-check for your usual conjunctions at the beginning of your sentences. For me, this isn't a problem with and, or, but. It's the subordinates: when, after, and so are my more common offenders. Check and see if you need them. If you don't, restructure the sentence. If they fit perfectly, leave 'em in!
Inevitably, you'll find pet words in your writing to hunt for. Always good to make a list and keep it close.
Tips come from a very handy book: Editor-Proof Your Writing by Don McNair. I didn't include the wonderful advice on checking for double verbs and eliminating where you can, hunting down and killing double adjectives, nouns and heaven-help-us double adverbs, or the useful advice on dialog tags. Also recommended for self-editing: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers (Renni Browne and Dave King) and Noah Lukeman's A Dash of Style. Those belong on every writer's shelf in my opinion.
One of these days, when I've finally mastered punctuation, I'll do a check list for myself. Until then, someone needs to invent me a mousetrap that snaps over my fingers whenever I misuse a comma.
Topic: Rebecca's Word Rake (Read 3505 times)