Thread: Better for spotting errors?

I am relatively new to this forum, but something quickly occurred to me. When we write, we do so, generally, in ‘Word’ and type using an A4 vertical format, double spaced. However, when we post on here it uses a horizontal layout with single spacing. In my opinion, I find it much easier to spot mistakes in this format, be they grammar, punctuation, homophones, or importantly missed words.

I would suggest most writers know to read aloud and this work well for identifying errors. However, when we have gone through our work a thousand times we subconsciously know what it should say. I think there is a danger that our unconscious brain will fill in the missed words, commas, and such like, because we know the punch lines.

Have a try and let me know your views. It worked for me, perhaps because my brain is seeing it in a different format and as such views it for the first time. And, while writing this, I realised something else; we generally type in Times, or Garamond, yet this forum uses Calibri, and this again is a new perspective for our brain.

Just a thought.
Steve

I am pretty sure you a right that a different physical perspective gives a different mental one. I have noticed when editing that if a long standing error changes its position on the line I suddenly notice it.

No way back for me now. I have just reformated my novel and started at the beginning, again...

I write in Word with the dimensions set to that of an ordinary novel.

I have noticed it is easier for me to see errors if I do a review on my kindle, after doing the original writing in Word. I save it as a .rtf then convert to .mobi and upload to my kindle. The change in format does help spot errors.

Hey, Pam

We have the same name, Davis, wonder if, na. And I live a few miles from Nothampton, in the UK. Seriously, I have been trying to convert my book to .rtf and then to .mobi. My brain crashed when I had to use the old stylie command prompt. Help

By the way, 'couz', a change in type face helps too.

Steve

Steve, use a free convertor you can download on-line. Here it is:

calibre - Download calibre

It can change to any format you can think of: E-pub, mobi, .rtf, .azw, .txt. You name it.

Hey Sam,

Thanks for this. I am sure I read somewhere that Amazon wouldn't accept anything converted using 'calibre'. Just in case I don't find an agent to use the normal path I wouldn't want to create an issue if Amazon is ultimately my best option.

Steve

Steve, the only way I've ever been able to deal with this problem is to get myself a copy, go to a private place and read it out loud to myself... it also helps a great deal with grammer