Why you should never rely on an editing programme

As a writer, I have various ways of editing, from straight off the Laptop screen to having my Kindle read it out to me. One  way is an editing programme. I won’t name it, as I’m sure most programmes do something similar. I’m also an English writer rather than an American writer, so I write the English spellings rather than the American Spellings The majority f my readers seem to be American, but most have never complained and it just feels right to write with English spellings. I live in England, so why try to be something I’m not? So that’s one thing my editing programme tries to “correct” but there are other “corrections” it tries to make too and genuine errors its doesn’t always pick up on. Below is an extract of a novel I’m currently writing, but its how it would look if I allowed my editing programme to have it’s way all the time.

 

Grace smiled. ‘Its traditional, I’m glad you stayed. It’s nice.’

‘I thought you might die,’ Luke said, ‘Just a few inches in either way and the bullet…’

‘Its conventional,’ Grace said again. ‘You don’t get rid of me that easily.’ She traced her fingers along Luke’s arm, then held her hand against his face. ‘Have you forgot the other thing I said to you last night?’

‘You were pretty out of it. I didn’t know if you meant it.’

‘I meant it,’ Grace confirmed.

‘Does this mean…’ he began.

‘I love you Luke, and I should never have pushed you a long way,’ Grace admitted, before pressing her lips to his.

He pulled far after just a few seconds.

‘You don’t want…’

‘I do want, very much. I don’t want to get carried away and hurt you. You’re still healing from the gun shot and before that you hurt you back, which I should probably take a look at.’

Luke carefully helped Grace onto her side.

‘You don’t need to be that gentle. I’m not going to break,’ Grace said, smiling at how careful Luke has been.

‘I’m not taking any chances, after last night,’ Luke insisted. He lifted up the loose-fitting T-shirt he had put on her, because her own top had been blood soaked. He gently touched her back, asking if it hurt.

Now here is the version where I chose which bits to allow it to edit. Remember, that this is only the first edit,  so there may still be errors, but I like to think the editing with my input makes a little more sense than the programmes version.

Grace smiled. ‘Its okay, I’m glad you stayed, its nice.’

‘I thought you might die,’ Luke said, ‘Just a few inches in either way and the bullet…’

‘Its okay,’ Grace said again. ‘You don’t get rid of me that easily.’ She traced her fingers along Luke’s arm, then held her hand against his face. ‘Have you forgot the other thing I said to you last night?’

‘You were pretty out of it. I didn’t know if you meant it.’

‘I meant it,’ Grace confirmed.

‘Does this mean…’ he began.

‘I love you Luke, and I should never have pushed you away,’ Grace admitted, before pressing her lips to his.

He pulled away after just a few seconds.

‘You don’t want…’

‘I do want, very much. I don’t want to get carried away and hurt you. You’re still healing from the gun shot and before that you hurt you back, which I should probably take a look at.’

Luke carefully helped Grace onto her side.

‘You don’t need to be that gentle, I’m not going to break,’ Grace said, smiling at how careful Luke was been.

‘I’m not taking any chances, after last night,’ Luke insisted. He lifted up the loose-fitting t-shirt he had put on her, because her own top had been blood soaked. He gently touched her back, asking if it hurt.