Effective self editing

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             I've read through each scene and am confident I haven't left any .
             plot strings dangling. .
             My characters are three-dimensional, non-stereotypical, interesting, .
             and consistent. .
             My dialogue sounds like real people talking. .
             My point of view (POV) remains the same throughout the entire .
             story "or if POV changes, it is done carefully and not within a .
             single scene. .
             Each paragraph and section is the logical result of the preceding .
             paragraph or section. .
             My tone is appropriate to my subject matter and my audience. .
             The Nitty Gritty .
             I've used my computer's spell-check and reread my manuscript .
             looking for words the spell-check might have missed (such as .
             mistakenly using their when I meant they're). .
             My grammar is correct. .
             My punctuation is correct. .
             I avoid redundancies. .
             I use active rather than passive verbs. .
             I use specifics rather than generalizations. .
             I avoid clichés. .
             I use only essential modifiers. .
             Proven Tactics for Effective Self-Editing .
             the big picture .
             Effectiveness of overall story .
             When you wrote your story, novel, or article, you had a specific .
             idea of the emotions you wanted to evoke in your reader. Perhaps .
             you wrote a story about chemical waste at a factory and you .
             wanted to convey horror and indignation. Maybe you wrote .
             a coming-of-age story about a young boy and you wanted to make .
             your reader feel nostalgic. Does your writing affect the reader the .
             way you want it to? .
             This is a situation that begs for an additional reader. If you've let .
             your writing "cool off,"" you will have gained some objectivity, .
             which will make you a better reader "but you won't be able to get .
             out of your own head enough to read it with a completely fresh .
             eye. Find a couple of people you trust, and when they finish .
             reading ask for their immediate response "not just whether they .
             liked it, but how it made them feel. You might also ask your .
             readers to summarize this piece of writing in one or two sentences.