Publishing E-Books For Dummies

Fixing Confusing or Awkward Sentences

After you pass the paragraph level of your manuscript, it’s time to consider the sentences. Most authors find that their first drafts have at least a few mangled sentences — ones that have gone grammatically awry or that go on and on or that simply seem clunky and awkward to read. Follow these tips for spotting and fixing these sentences that aren’t quite right:

Read your manuscript aloud. If you stumble over a sentence, it’s probably a good candidate for a rewrite — start by splitting it into two shorter sentences.

Avoid following outdated rules that tie your sentences into knots. Starting a sentence with however, or even and or but, is fine. You can also split infinitives and end sentences with prepositions; often, they make your words flow much more naturally.

Consider a list of bullet points. If you write a sentence that introduces several points (particularly long ones), see whether it might work better as a series of bullet points. They’re much easier for readers to absorb, and they help add visual interest and white space to the page.