The Written Word

Proofreading Tips

Below are some proofreading tips I have picked along from experience and from others.

• To focus on the spelling of words, read it backwards (Double check proper names and little words like "or," "of," "it," and "is").
• Read your work both out loud (print it) and silently (and do so once slowly).
• Proof for one type of mistake at a time, once for spelling, once for missing spaces, etc..
• Consider pointing with your finger and reading words one at a time.
• If you can, have someone else read it; or better still, have someone else read it out loud while you look at the text and then do the reverse.
• To focus on typology, read it upside down.

The Whispers of Humming Birds 

How I wrote this poem:  The idea was to make each 4 lines stand on their own almost whereby each could be moved anywhere.  At the same time there is an order where one is linked to the one that follows , this way, if one reads it sequentially it has a meaning: one story
If read as separate units, however, then each changes meaning somewhat; creating little stories within each other.
Only the 2nd group, doesn't stand on its own, but without it the 1st does change meaning just the same.

The whispers of humming birds

When my eyes talk
she answers
When her eyes talk
I pray
         to understand
         her hands and body
         which move along
         with them
in unison
I search the forms
which she creates
fearing their meaning
         should its motive
         not include me
         I whisper
         sounds which make her
eyes talk
through mine
so she could understand
her meaning
         for time walked alone
         where without me she stood
         whispering gentleness
         to humming birds kissing flowers

Nov 14, 2014