Improve Your Writing With PaperEdit
When it comes to revising your first draft, whether it be blog article or book chapter, the task can be daunting. Of course, there are tools like spellcheck and grammar check in macOS that are great, but what about other problems like, weak phrases, long sentences, passive voice, hyperbole, and other wording to clean up.
While it’s no substitute for manually proofreading, tools like PaperEdit can help you focus your editing efforts on these specific areas.
PaperEdit allows you to load or paste text, then highlights sentences that could be improved. As mentioned it will highlight passive voice, long sentences, recycled starting words, and repeated words.
At a glance you can see where to focus. You can then cycle through each highlighted passage to see if you agree.
I find this a great first step in the revision process. If there’s a rainbow of color, it’s time to make some serious edits. That’s not a bad thing because I know where to look. I can focus on those changes before tackling the document as a whole.
After those corrections, it’s time to look at the whole document. Even if PaperEdit gives the all clear, manual proofreading is still part of the process.
Some people frown on proofing tools. I disagree. Relying on them as your only revision practice is a bad idea, but there’s nothing wrong with getting the low hanging fruit. I like the highlights, and the ability to see problematic areas at a glance.
PaperEdit is a recent addition, but I’ve gone over several articles and like the results. Plus, it’s always good to start with the basics because fixing those problems has a noticeable domino effect. It makes you rethink what you’re trying to convey.
A downloadable demo is available, although you need to scroll through the Blog section to find it. The demo isn’t the latest, but easily shows off the features. I found it valuable enough to head to the App Store for the full version.
If you want a solid first step in revision, PaperEdit is a good choice. It can also open Scrivener projects, so you don’t have to copy and paste.
You can find more about PaperEdit at Novellus Software.
