Errors are a part of life. However, I would assert that there is a hierarchy of miscalculations, with those that occupy the higher echelons of mistake worthy of raising a red flag. The signing of a goalkeeper who drops the pen prior to signing the contract would rightly be alarming. Although I’ve never been party to such an event, I have nonetheless experienced a virtual pen dropping event that culminated in an abrupt end to business. A financial advisor once sent me a letter that they signed off with “rearguards” rather than regards. If they relied wholly on spellcheck, without a final readthrough, was my money safe with them? I decided to err on the side of caution and invested elsewhere. But on reflection was I too harsh? Since becoming a published writer, I have always run my prose through my proofreader extraordinaire, Paula. To be precise, our literary relationship has lifted her to the grand and deserved title of copy editor. Simply put, proofreading your own work is notoriously difficult, and there’s a good reason for that.
When you write, you become intimately familiar with your text. This familiarity is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it helps you develop a deep understanding of your content. On the other, it blinds you to mistakes. Your brain knows what you intended to write and often sees what it expects to see, rather than what’s actually on the page. This phenomenon is known as “cognitive bias.”
Another factor at play is the “curse of knowledge.” As the author, you have all the context and background information in your head. This makes it easy to overlook gaps in your writing that might confuse readers. You might skip over missing words or unclear phrases because your brain fills in the blanks automatically.
Writing can be mentally exhausting. By the time you finish a draft, your brain is tired. This fatigue can impair your ability to spot errors. Additionally, when you’re deeply focused on the content and flow of your writing, you might miss smaller details like typos or punctuation mistakes.
There are some strategies for reviewing, especially if you don’t have a Paula in your life, although if you are a budding content creator they are much lower league options:
1. Take a Break: Step away from your work for a while. A fresh perspective can help you see errors you missed before.
2. Read Aloud: Hearing your words can highlight awkward phrasing and mistakes that your eyes might skip over. The “read aloud” function in Microsoft WORD is highly recommended.
3. Change the Format: Print out your document or change the font and size. This can trick your brain into seeing the text differently.
If you remain unconvinced, let the master of horror writing, Stephen King, have the final say: “To write is human, to edit is divine.”
Thank you Paula for giving this the expert onceover!
© Ian Kirke 2024
@ iankirke.bsky.social
Title photograph by Daniela Holzer on Unsplash