By Holly Garcia
As a writer, the goal is to present your best work before you submit, which won’t happen on your first draft, and probably not on your second; as they say, third time’s the charm.
Each round of edits serves its own purpose. The first time you edit, make sure what you’re writing makes sense. There is nothing like a misplaced comma or the wrong spelling of a word to throw off the intention of your message.
The second time you rework your magic, focus on how your story reads. Are you using passive voice too often? How hard is it for your reader to understand your message? Is there a more concise way to express yourself?
Finally, now that the words are written on the page in a grammatically correct way, and you’re able to express your message clearly, without excessive adverbs or in different tenses, take a moment to run through a third edit by listening to your work.
Whether you’re writing your debut novel, researching pieces to submit to literary journals, or putting the finishing touches on your poetry book, there are three free editing tools every writer should be using.
Grammarly is a tool that checks your writing for the basics like grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Write your text in the form or copy and paste your work from another document, and Grammarly will evaluate the correctness, clarity, engagement, and delivery of your words. Additionally, Grammarly will notify you if it detects plagiarism in your work.
Hemingway Editor is a tool that evaluates the readability of your work. Write your text in the form or copy and paste your work from another document, and Hemingway Editor will track the number of adverbs and the instances of passive voice, as well as how difficult your sentences are to read or if there are easier ways to express your writing.
Natural Readers is a website that will read your work to you. You’ll be able to hear your words come to life in English (U.S. or UK) or 9 other languages. While Grammarly and Hemingway Editor will make sure the mechanics of your writing works well, being able to hear the flow of your words makes a world of difference.
Whether you’re writing for the first time or have been writing for a lifetime, Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and Natural Readers are three free resources every writer should be using to self-edit their work.
Bio: Holly Garcia is the author of an upcoming self-published poetry collection, All The Ways I Loved You, and is working through her debut historical fiction novel. When she isn’t working on these projects, she’s a freelance resume writer. Keep in touch at garcia.hc0502@gmail.com
