The Check(list), Please

When you’re self-editing a manuscript, it may help you to do what a lot of professional editors do:

Make a checklist.

An editor’s checklist usually consists of both a standard set of common errors to be on the lookout for, and also elements specific to the particular manuscript being edited, such as name consistency and character descriptions. A printout of a generic checklist is handy to keep nearby while editing, and new items of note may and should be added to the list while the particular work is being scanned.

You may think you have a great memory and can juggle all the information in your manuscript — after all, you’re the one who wrote it — but when you switch to editor-mode from writer-mode and begin to look specifically for particular inconsistencies, you may surprise yourself at how often you managed to misspell Bobbie as Bobby and how Mrs. Raftery became Ms. Rafferty 6 chapters into your story.

Here’s an example of a basic checklist:

Punctuation Placement (especially period and comma usage, possessives, plurals, and hyphenation)

Proper Capitalization

Spelling (vocabulary, and consistency in alternatives)

Grammatical and Parallel Constructions

Vague References (pronouns, antecedents)

Inappropriate, Incorrect, and Overused Word Choices

Consistency in Verb Tenses

Fragments (because you meant to, not because you missed “Punctuation Placement”)

Varied Sentence Lengths

Qualifiers, Clarifiers, and Intensives, OH, MY!

Balance of Active & Passive Voice

Unexplained Jargon

Flow of Content and Transitions

Adherence to Chosen Style Guide

Once you begin editing your manuscript, whether it’s a book, article, story, or poem, you’ll want to customize your basic checklist with items that cover specifics to that piece of work. Don’t just write down a general category, either — copy the exact spelling of names and places, or make a glossary for your own use, and create a secondary list that runs down character tendencies and attributes so you can cross-reference for incorrect insertions in the manuscript more easily.

Sample customizations:

Main Characters: LouEllen Carmichael and Gordin Hannford (note unusual or alternative spellings)

Carmichael wears a sky-blue, paisley bandanna on her suede Stetson

Any dates or numerical sequences referenced

Attribution of quoted song lyrics

Tendency to misspell “aeronautical” and “accommodation”

Tend to repeat myself; replace repetitive sections

Check Stats: average number of stunt planes that crash every year; Donald Duck’s current fan club address

You get the idea. What goes on your customized part of the list will, of course, be particular to your own content needing to be edited.

Do you have to make a checklist for every manuscript? No, not if you’re thoroughly familiar with most parts of grammar, spelling, and style. But when you’re writing anything longer than a poem of a page-length or 2, having custom lists at the ready for cross-checking can make both the creative and revisionary processes a heck of a lot smoother.

#copyediting #editingyourmanuscript #selfediting #editingtips