I don't know if anyone can help me but i'm terrible at speeling and grammer. I'm a good enough writer yet i'm let down by my speeling and grammer. I try really hard to proff read my work but the mistakes just dont seem to register. It's not laziness like I think many people who read my work think it is it's pure blindness that I find hard to fight against. Any tips on how to improve would be of great assistance. Thankyou and i hope I can get somewhere with your assistance.
Glasses can help immensely... so can a thorough knowledge of typing. Boni_Bee can tell you how I can unwittingly write absolute nonsense... and I'm supposed to be good!
1) Use the spellchecker to your advantage.
If there is a word that you don't know how to spell, most likely you'll learn really quick if you use the spellchecker. In YWS, as in Word and many other word processors, there is a special command for spelling. (I think, for Word, it's F7). Use this. It might be wrong on some accounts, but not all.
2) Read what you write.
Before you even think of sending it in YWS or a publisher, read what you write. If it helps, do it aloud. What this trains you to do is to look back at your writing (too often people send it in too quick) and makes you see any flaws that might be there. Also, if you are debating, you might spot fallacies. Always a bad thing. For stories, especially stories you're serious on, you should read through them a lot. A dozen times is the absolute minimum for a story you are truly serious on. So always read your work!
3) Buy good grammar books.
If you are really serious about writing, then you will buy The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. Preferably, in a used book store. They have an illustrated version which (in my opinion) is junk. So look around and find one.
4) Get a nice dictionary.
Get one of those big dictionaries that you can barely put in your lap. This is your best friend. When you're bored, read through the dictionary. Strange, I know, but definitely worthwhile.
That's a start I guess.
Ubi caritas est vera, Deus ibi est.
"The mark of your ignorance is the depth of your belief in injustice and tragedy. What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls the butterfly." ~ Richard Bach
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