The Catholic Writers Guild blog functions like any other published periodical. When you submit your post, it will pass through the hands of one or more blog editors. Depending on the editor’s available time, your post may be sent back for revisions, or the editor may choose to make corrections and publish the post directly.
It is your responsibility to maintain a copy of your original draft. WordPress software does track revisions, but we cannot guarantee a record of your original will be preserved.
The level of scrutiny a post receives will depend on the genre and the purpose of the work. In all cases, the better-edited your post before you submit, the less painful the editing process will be. We will be thrilled to publish your work as-written, if it is indeed in top form!
How to Edit your Draft
1. Master your message.
Take control of your ideas. Many of us do not work from an outline as we write. That’s fine. But you must then review your draft, and identify all the ideas that you have put down on paper.
What do your sentences say? Does each paragraph discuss one idea, and one only? Do your ideas transition logically from one paragraph to the next? Are you saying what you meant to say?
When it doubt, forget style and art. Just write down what you mean to say. It can be made pretty later.
Remove the extra ideas. Blog writing should be concise. Eliminate all non-essential observations, background information, side points, and other bonus material.
Remove the extra words. Really, very, simply, especially, quite, in order to, in conjunction with, in consideration of . . . on paper, these words are often parasites.
Filler words are essential in speech. We use them to slow down the sentence and add emphasis. This is an aid to the listener. It is normal, therefore, that your first draft would be loaded with these words.
But in written language, filler words make more work for the reader. They hide the real message. Remember step one, when you took control of your ideas? Eliminate any word that is not needed in order to communicate your ideas.
(Did you see that last in order to? Sometimes these phrases are not parasites at all! In this case, I wanted to slow the reader down between “needed” and “communicate,” and to emphasize the idea that words have work to do. You are free to use any good word. Just don’t let your words be extra hands loafing around the job site. Use the ones you need, send the rest home.)
2. Listen. How do you sound?
Punctuate. Read your draft aloud. As you read, do not take any breaths or pauses unless the punctuation says to. Where are the missing pauses and stops? Go back and add punctuation. You may need to turn one sentence into two, three, or more, in order to make your post read the way it should be spoken.
Eliminate clumsy repetition. It is not necessary to think up an elaborate list of synonyms for the subject of your article. It is necessary to rephrase your paragraphs to avoid jarring repetition of noticeable words. If you are attempting to use repetition as a stylistic effect, and you aren’t sure you have succeeded, let your editor know that.
In all cases, clear communication is more important than impeccable style.
3. Proofread.
If you are a CWG Guest Blogger, write yourself a double-spaced manuscript draft. Print it out, and read it word-by-word, forward and backward, with red pen in hand. Correct, reprint, correct again.
Please submit your post as a Word document attachment with a .doc filename. Remember not to attach images. Send your editor the online link to the image, necessary attributions, and any notes about the desired sizing and placement of the image.
If you are a CWG blog “contributor” with an admin-assigned userlogin, copy your post into WordPress at the CWG’s WordPress account. Then hit the “Preview” button.
Do you see large chunks of text that need to be broken up? Are there formatting problems? How do the images look?
Read through your whole post. Every time you find a problem, go back and fix it immediately. Then re-preview. A well-edited post is usually read backward and forward three or more times.
Special Considerations
Please let your editor know if:
- You are not a native English speaker, or have another situation that makes your writing prone to invisible-to-you errors.
- You have time constraints, physical limitations, or a difficult personal situation that limits your ability to edit and revise.
- You know (or suspect) your post has problems, but you aren’t sure how to fix them.
- You realize your piece might not be a fit for the blog, but wanted to submit and find out.
- You run into technical problems, whether with WordPress or something else.
- You realize you’d submitted a post containing errors or omissions, and you need to fix them.
Everyone runs into these kinds of problems. We your editorial board often ask each other for writing help. If we know about your situation, we are happy to make whatever accommodations we can. (We, too, are mortal, and cannot always do all we would like.) It is our desire and purpose to help all members of the CWG find ways to answer their calling as Catholic writers.
Do you want to write well?
Study the craft. At a minimum, read one grammar book and one writing book a year. Use what you learn to read other writers critically. There are no perfect writers. What techniques are others using well, and where could their work be improved? What style choices do you like, and which do you find annoying or uncomfortable?
If you can, participate in at least one online writing conference every year. There are several that are free, including ours. If it is within your means, attend a live conference, writing workshop, or critique group. Submit your work in the conference workshops, and let others tear it apart. Yes it hurts, but your writing will improve.
