Friday 5 April 2013

"E" is for Edit...SmartEdit, if you please!





I'm in Edit mode with my novel right now. I've got plenty left to write, of course, but my manuscript also got to the point where it needed some serious smoothing out. I realised that the day I discovered that someone who did something in Chapter 34 had actually been killed in Chapter 22. Ouch. 

I've been using a tool in this process which I really like: SmartEdit. It's FREE. The full SmartEdit version can be downloaded and used for ten days, then either purchased OR you can opt for the free-forever package which contains the most used features of the larger product.

It's E-Day! Let me tell you about SmartEdit and how to try it out.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
WHAT IS IT? SmartEdit is a new, first-pass editing tool for writers. Not a replacement for a human editor or good proofreading, it's an aid--and easy helper for when you begin editing your work.

WHAT DOES IT DO: SmartEdit takes text or reads from an rtf file and runs all these checks on your document and produces a list. Imagine your surprise when you discover (as did I) that you have way too many adverbs or you've actually used the word 'actually' ten times in a chapter.

Or that 14 sentences begin with 'Mother had said'. Ouch. You can go through and change--or not change--them. I've found it a very useful writing tool, too, since it's identifying some things I do again and again.

WHAT ABOUT SELF-PUBLISHING: We all have a hard time catching our own mistakes. If you're self-publishing, and you don't have a strong plan for outside editing, I think this is brilliant. It picks up things from a library of commonly-misused words (capital vs capital, for instance) and makes it simple to catch those before your first readers do. The dialog tag counter is great, too. Does your hero 'exclaim' or 'declare' everything? Give the boy a choice with some SmartEditing!

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE: Here's a sample. Oh, those pesky adverbs! See all the sample pages in the SmartEdit gallery for a closer look.

p.s. Want an "E" bonus?
Check out Evernote...and 'Remember Everything'
I truly use this one for just about everything I do. I collect ideas, clip things from web pages, save whole web pages to it, capture the odd paragraph opening I write in Starbucks, research items wherever I am...at home or on the go...and sync it all between my PC, my iPad and my Android phone. I think it's fantastic. Check it out and download your copy at:

http://evernote.com/evernote/

#AtoZChallenge

9 comments:

  1. Thanks for your post! This will surely come in handy. And thanks for dropping by my blog and leaving a comment. I really appreciate it! :) Good luck on A-Z-ing!

    Sincerely,Miss Uncertain---sidetracked

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    1. Hope you enjoy it; I can't believe how much I learned about some of my common mistakes! Funny how we can see them with OTHERS make them but not when it's ourseloves!

      Thanks for your visit and comment. Cynthia

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  2. Oooooh! Thank you! I've bookmarked this & will share it with my local writers' group. We are all in various stages of edits right now, so this may come in very handy!

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    1. Thanks, Cheri, I hope the group enjoys it. It's nice to share tools and this is a very good one to try. Cynthia

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  3. I'm going to check out Smart Edit! I could use it.

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    1. Thanks, Alex...interesting to me is how easily I see these things when I edit for others but how pervasive some of the oopses are in my own work--and I don't even notice it. Hope you find SmartEdit useful! cynthia

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  4. Thanks for sharing, Cynthia. This could be a lifesaver for me, because I HATE editing.

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  5. As much as I enjoy editing, I think this program would be a fascinating addition to the writing process. Nothing like seeing the specific number of something. I might noticed I had overused a phrase, but probably wouldn't take the time to count. This really appeals to me!

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  6. Two good choices of software for your E post. I'm glad I stopped by for A to Z.

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