Check, check and check again
Spelling and grammar checks
Your spell check is not your best mate.
He is the bloke you met in a pub and you’re not sure that you can trust him. Better than nothing, yes, but not very bright.
Thanks to the wisdom of spell check we have enjoyed charming phrases such ‘piece of mind’ and ‘tow the line’.
Read it aloud
Embarrassing, yes (until you get used to it), but one of the best ways of testing the pace and rhythm of what you’ve written.
If you’ve got a friend who can’t run away too fast, read to them. Failing that, read to the cat or to yourself. And don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.
If only you’ve read it, it’s not good enough.
Even the best writers in the world need someone to check their work.
When you’ve written something and re-read it repeatedly (even aloud), you simply don’t notice mistakes.
Get someone else to read your writing.
Tell them they’re checking for spelling and sense, not being asked to comment on your style (however, if they can’t get further than the first paragraph, you might want to review that too).