proofing

[hitlow]

I am new to this forum, so sorry if this has been covered, but I am looking to get my screenplay proof-read. I am weary about trying to do it myself.
I understand I have to pay for this. Can anyone suggest a legit site or service for this? I can put in on a PDF, I'm in LA.
M. Hitlow

[jessegrillofilm]

Are you the member of a writing group? Here is a list of great groups in the LA area. Being part of one you will meet other people that can prof-read your work and help you in other areas. http://www.scriptwritersnetwork.org/swn/index.php?page=writers-groups
I live on Laurel Canyon so if you want to grab coffee sometime let me know.

[nmstevens]

I am new to this forum, so sorry if this has been covered, but I am looking to get my screenplay proof-read. I am weary about trying to do it myself.
I understand I have to pay for this. Can anyone suggest a legit site or service for this? I can put in on a PDF, I'm in LA.
M. Hitlow

You can always find somebody to do it, but it's really something that you ought to be training yourself to do. It's part of being a professional writer.

Also, the process of proof-reading, especially for the author, gives you a chance not only to read for errors of grammar and spelling, but also for mistakes of phrasing -- things that simply don't read clearly -- which is not something that an outside proof-reader is going to be able to address.

If you are using Final Draft, it's "read-back" feature -- which allows it to read your script back out loud (or any program that does this) can be very useful for proof-reading.

However careful one is in reading, there is a tendency, after awhile, for the eye to see what ought to be there, instead of what actually is.

When you have a machine reading the actual words, with you following along, you will tend to catch a lot of errors that you would otherwise miss.

It also will tend to highlight phrases and sentences that simply don't read well or come across as confusing.

Finally, even when you know the difference between commonly confused words, like "their" and "there" and "its" and "it's" -- when you're writing, it's very easy, in the heat of creation, to inadvertently substitute one for the other, something that neither spell-checking nor a read-aloud program will catch.

So it makes sense to simply do a global search -- search for "it's" -- and check to make sure that you've used it correctly every time.

Same thing with their, there, they're, and your, you're and accept, except.

Presuming that you know when to use one and the other -- just check to make sure you haven't unconsciously substituted one for the other.

Going through this process might take you a few days -- but it's part of what you have to do, or at any rate I think it's part of what you should be doing.

I've been writing professionally for a long time and I still proof my own work. For me, it's just part of doing business.

NMS

[hitlow]

Thanks to both responses, this is a great forum!
mhitlow

[mario_c]

Are you the member of a writing group? Here is a list of great groups in the LA area. Being part of one you will meet other people that can prof-read your work and help you in other areas. http://www.scriptwritersnetwork.org/swn/index.php?page=writers-groups
I live on Laurel Canyon so if you want to grab coffee sometime let me know.What? No NYC group?:Shrug:But groups in Virginia and Boston?

[NikeeGoddess]

a simple google can do the trick
http://www.nycresource.com/Screenwriting/Groups/

but it's really something that you ought to be training yourself to do. It's part of being a professional writer i agree. you must be able to proofread and get all the crappy grammatical errors out first. many people get so excited and anxious about their work that they put it out there before it's ready, and then they get pummeled for doing so. it's not until later that you realize how premature you were and that you should have examined and studied your own work before you let other people read it.

[mario_c]

I said on this link, Nike, I'm aware there are other groups. Like Meetup in NYC and elsewhere. Thanks anyway...