Get to posting!

A Lesson by V. Germanotta

You've finished writing. Now you think you're ready to put your book up on Writers Cafe (or somewhere else). There's ONE step in between

Now that you're done writing go back and use spell check to be sure that you've made no spelling or grammar mistakes. It's annoying to have to read something that has bad spelling EVERYWHERE and horrible grammar. If that's the case, it doesn't matter how good you book is, it's going to be the most annoying thing to read and it's simply RUDE to make someone to read it. That means you're not ready to be published, so don't you even bother.

Go through spelling check multiple times. Go through grammar check multiple times. You may not have a pro editor but you have a free one that works well enough. use punctuation. If you want to write you can't just say: Ooh I used a period, question, and exclamation mark. I'm finished here. The point of having commas, semi-colons, and so on is for you to use them and write with them. Sometimes you need semicolons. Or maybe you need a comma.

Do not apologize for bad grammar or spelling. Fix it. Your apology means nothing if you want someone to sit down and read your story for you. Here is an example:

A.) Her name was Jen. She wasn't the best conessur of magic but that wasn't her problem. It was her attidute. maybe she needed friends. matbe not. She thought she had plenty of freinds. Magic wasn't her problem at all. Her atitude was that was ehr problem. She just didn't know it.

B.) Her name was Jen. She wasn't the best connoisseur of magic, but that wasn't her problem. It was her attitude. Maybe she needed friends; maybe not. She thought she had plenty of friends. Magic wasn't her problem at all. Her attitude was; that was her problem. She just didn't know it yet.

Which was better? Which will people want to read? If you chose B, you were right. Nobody wants to waste time reading something by someone who doesn't even care enough to fix grammar and spelling mistakes. If you skip around from past tense to future tense to present, then you're simply annoying. Decide, once and for all, unless it really makes any sort of a difference. In most cases, it doesn't. It's extremely annoying and makes you seem stupid. If you don't know how to spell or, better yet, USE a word do not put it in your story. That also makes you seem foolish.

Once you've fixed all of the problems in your writing, now it's time to post. Make sure your description is enticing and makes people want to read what you've worked so hard on. Get to posting!