Finishing a draft is super exciting, however... we all know the editing process looms just around the corner. And the most annoying thing about this: typos.
I found that I finish a draft. Come back to it the next day so the first edit pass specifically to check for typos. I do major editing passes later after some time away and/or received notes.
Do you have any special methods for finding these? Such as an edit pass dedicated solely to proofing the words? Or do you incorporate spell check into a broader editing strategy?
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I read through my draft to try and pick up on typos etc that I've missed. Ill also get friends to read it through.
I'm currently writing a feature and I'm on Scriptfella's Pro program where i've picked up some great tips on upscaling vocabulary and tweaking and improving verbs and cinematic impact. What I've found works is to write a section, then leave it for a day and then revise it using Scriptfella's principles and it really brings the script to life.
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I have to use Grammarly due to my dyslexia. However, even that can miss stuff, and I run into issues with spellcheck not actually checking the stuff I'm working on. When I convert my stuff into novella format and upload it to Amazon KDP, the spell checker there almost always still flags something. It's a nightmare, and I'm basically screwed if read by someone who associates typos with talent.
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I utilize my global search a lot. I have list of words or typos I have found in my work often.
It's a long, long list sadly. But it saves me a lot of time.
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Yeah, I’m also in the polishing phase. I use ChatGPT for corrections. I send it my text, then follow its guidance and correct everything manually—no copy and paste.
Most importantly, I tell it to make only minimal corrections so it doesn’t change my voice or paraphrase my sentences. Michael Dzurak
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I prefer to manually check for typos on a print copy of my script/novel. It's easier on the eyes and I get to use my stationery :D
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I use First Draft spelling to check my script typos, and after I read the script on my IPad to catch other typos that FD was enable to see it.
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Read it backwards, then you don't get distracted by the story.
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I assume everyone is using the read aloud feature of their software? I'd have no chance without that.
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After reviewing the script countless times in a screenwriting software, print a PDF and edit that. So many things show up in the different look.
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That’s a great suggestion David Taylor :))
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Sometimes the best approach is to get fresh eyes on your work.
I've been writing, editing and proofreading in some capacity or another my entire career and can spot typos a mile away. That said, I've missed errors in my own writing despite several passes of proofreading and am grateful when another reader catches them.
I offer script proofreading as well coverage services at dianesreelwords.com.
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Editing is the bane of writing. My experience taught me to read everyone's editing feedback and utilize what works best for you.
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Sandra Correia i have an even better suggestion which heretofore was Top Secret in my repertoire of public advice:
To all of you out there struggling to write movie synopsis - write it backwards an event at a time. Ie read the screenplay from the end to the beginning a paragraph or a page etc at a time - think what happened there, and write a comment, sentence or two. Then edit it beginning to end, checking you have all the events, plants, payoffs and arcs.
There you have it - it really does work. The first synopsis I ever wrote took weeks and frustrated the bejesus out of me. Now I can write one, in one to four hours about anything.
As a matter of interest, if you have holes in it, it’s a much better way to find them. I have no idea why, but it’s true.
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Facts! lol
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Here’s another one. After a certain number of pages, depending on you, it’s impossible to edit a screenplay properly UNLESS you print it out. IMPOSSIBLE. If you do the latter, you find solid gold additions. I call it ‘the last ten minutes of editing’. So, if you have been going backwards and forwards on a screen driving yourself nuts - congratulations - it means you're normal and your brain is telling to stop doing that and let it solve the issues by presenting it with the information differently. Your brain knows the story, show it the information a different way and it will fix it. I often see movies and think ‘that writer didn’t print it out, he missed abc.
Always remember Dalton Trumbo.
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We are all Achilles here, Michael (Especially non-native English speakers like me!)
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Thanks for all of your perspectives, everyone.
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I mostly use a spell check to scan for misspelled words. And also, I often check for wrong punctuations.
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David Taylor that's a great way to edit. It forced me to focus on the words/grammar instead of going with the flow of the story and missing typos.
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I love that, David Taylor. I will try :))