Mistakes are part of writing. Some mistakes are recurring. There are a few that seem to pop up in every manuscript I write.
For this post I’ve chosen thirteen of my most common errors from my proof reading notebook. I add to the notebook every time I receive edits on a manuscript so I can try to prevent the same errors in future books.
Many errors pop out when I’m proof reading, but when I’m writing my fingers still type the wrong word, leave off letters, et cetera.
What are some of your common errors or typos?
Thirteen of My Most Common Writing Mistakes
1. is/his – I always forget to add the “h” at some point in every manuscript.
2. public/pubic – This one always makes me laugh.
3. suit/suite
4. if and When/when and if
5. discreet/discrete
6. lets/let’s
7. choose/chose
8. ascend/descend – I do this often when characters use a staircase or when my Horsemen take off and land. 🙂
9. stomach/back – In love scenes a character will be on their back in my mind and on their stomach in the manuscript.
10. Repetition – I do a search for words or phrases I use too often, such as “he narrowed his eyes.”
11. wrack/rack
12. material/materiel
13. Collarbone, not collarbones.
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