Checklist before submitting:

All good writers check their work. This is called editing. Before you submit your work to be read by others, read it carefully, as if you have never seen it before, and then find where it needs reworking.

Below are some tips to help you edit your writing:

If you have written a POEM:

Have you checked that you do use punctuation where necessary? You don’t have to put a punctuation mark at the end of every line, but it can still be helpful for readers for you to put commas and full stops in where needed, so they can follow your ideas more clearly.

Have you checked that you haven’t used too many cliches?
Cliches are images and comparisons that have been over-used and so now have lost their meaning. Some examples are:
Heart of gold
Broken heart
Head over heels in love
Try to think of your own original comparisons that make your writing fresh and exciting!

If you have written a PLAY:

Have you formatted it correctly? For more information about this check here.

If you have written a STORY or ESSAY:

If you have you used direct speech (exactly what people say) have you punctuated it correctly? For more help with this check here.

MORE TIPS FOR STORIES AND PLAYS

STRUCTURE AND PLOT
Have you structured your story/play so it is clear what happens in it?
Your story should have a strong beginning where you introduce your main characters and the setting, a climax (the most dramatic and important scene in the story) and a strong ending. Readers need to feel satisfied at the end and know what has happened to all the characters.

For more help on structure and plot look here

Check too how many things happen in your story. If too many different things happen it can confuse the reader. It is best to stick to one or two major things that happen. Sometimes ‘less is more’.. Have a look here.

CHARACTER
Are your characters believable and well described?
You should have believable and well-developed characters in your story or play – especially your main characters. When you edit see if you need to add details that will bring your characters to life so that readers really feel they know them. To help you develop your characters click here.

DETAILS
Have you written different scenes in your story? Have you spiced them up with great dialogue and description? For more help with describing the details to bring your scenes to life read here.

It is important to ‘show’ the reader rather than ‘telling the reader’ what happens in your story or play. Do your scenes ‘show’ the reader what is happening in your story or play? Do you need to add dialogue or description? For help with this read here.

PUNCTUATION
It is important to punctuate your writing correctly so that it is clear. If there is no punctuation it is very hard for the reader to understand what you have written.

Have you used sentences and paragraphs correctly? For more help with this look here.