Purrfect Prose

When I began submitting entries for writing contests and felt the sting of rejection, I realised that I needed help with the proofing process of writing. This was an imperative part of the writing-for-publication journey. What it meant was that I had to get more practice—not of writing, but of getting used to someone other than me reading my precious brainchildren. Reading my own work does not necessarily catch incoherencies.

As tough as it may be to receive criticism of my work, I learned that it was the surest way toward improvement. After all, writing for publication means that I’m not just doing this for myself. The goal is to reach others. So, my work should be the best and most presentable version—not just what I deem to be good enough.

I’ve decided to share here a tale of the first time I asked for a volunteer proofer to read my composition. It went like this:

Having only scanned through the first paragraph, he (my proofer and gracious volunteer) felt the urge to share that he was delighted I had crafted a story with a cat as a character.

Cat!? What cat?! It took all my strength not to tear the page from his hands. No matter how infuriated I happened to be in that very moment, the point was to take in any (and all) information my test reader had to share. So, I waited for him to finish and tried not to stare.

After giving him time to complete the sample—and for my temper to cool—I asked him politely for feedback. I then enquired where he “saw” the cat, explaining that I hadn’t placed one in the scene.

He provided treasure I could not have unlocked on my own. Once my reader showed me the cat, I could not “unsee” it. No re-working would satisfy me. The wording that caused such confusion needed to be revised. It was an outcome I hadn’t expected to encounter, but valuable all the same. The offending sentence went like this:

Goosebumps bristled up her legs.

I could not “unsee” the cat. The phrase had to go. The moral: Ask someone to read your writing. Even if you do it one sample at a time. Accept all feedback and be open to surprises. Know these will help your writing improve.

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Cover Image: Photo by Septimiu Lupea on Pexels.com