Proofreading: My System

This is one I developed for myself that I've found to be very effective. There's two ways to do it:

IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A PRINTER:

1. Print out your story.
2. Circle all nouns (persons, places, things) on EVERY reference.
3. Circle all names and titles and such on EVERY reference.
4. Circle all statistics and numbers on EVERY reference.
5. Circle the entirety of every quote.
6. Then, go through your notes. As you double-check each circled item and make sure it's correct, put a slash through each circle.
7. Then, look up each circled item on the Web to make sure what was in your notes was correct in the first place. As each is confirmed, put a backward slash (making an X) through each circle.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A PRINTER:

1. Get out a blank piece of paper.
2. Write down all nouns (persons, places, things) EXACTLY as written in your story on EVERY reference.
3. Write down all names and titles and such EXACTLY as written in your story on EVERY  reference.
4. Then, go through your notes. As you double-check each line item and make sure it's correct, put a slash through each item.
5. Then, look up each line item on the Web to make sure what was in your notes was correct in the first place. As each is confirmed, put a backward slash (making an X) through each circle.
6. Don't waste time writing down all quotes, but do double-check them word-for-word against your notes to ensure absolute accuracy.

This system is simple and doable in a real-world setting and I cannot tell you how many times on stories I had eyeballed and spell-checked and was sure nothing was wrong I found a misspelled third reference too a last name or a transposed number or a quote where one word was slightly off.

Please take the fact-checking habits we've blogged about earlier and work them into your routines. And try to dedicate as much time to fact-checking as you do writing.

For example, let's say you have one hour to do an assignment. Ideally, I'd like you to spend the first 15 minutes going over the story information and making sure you understand what you are about to write about. Then, spend the next 30 minutes writing. After that, spend the last 15 minutes proofreading your work.

That way, in the end you spend one minute doing quality control for every minute spent writing. And if it means your story seems short, so be it. I'd rather have you write short than wrong.

We can't just turn on good habits like a light switch when we turn pro. We need to start building good habits now. That's why these rules are in place, and that's why this class exists: so that on the day after graduation, you are immediately ready and experienced in what you need to do for the rest of your career.