Making lots of stupid mistakes! Brain freeze?

[SatuR]

I'm getting lots of articles returned/rejected for small grammar and spelling mistakes , stuff I really should have noticed. I always proofread my articles several times but for some reason I'm suddenly submitting articles with lots of stupid mistakes. Does this ever happen to anyone else? Do I need a break from writing? Am I getting old? Should I take a break from submitting articles or hire someone to proofread them?

[Celeste Stewart]

Try changing your article's font temporarily while you proofread the document. I've found that by making the font different or larger, it's easier to catch typos and mistakes. I'm not sure why this works - maybe because the words get rearranged on the screen slightly? Maybe it's psychological? Who knows, but it's a trick that might help. Make sure to change the font back to Times New Roman 12 before you submit.

[JStone]

Nice to know I'm not the only one! Exactly the same happening to me today.

I seem to have suddenly un-learned everything I know about comma usage...had a bunch of articles returned for silly mistakes and wrongly placed commas

Oh well, back to the purdue OWL for me.

[SatuR]

Changing the font is a great idea, thanks... and I'm also going to leave the articles for a few days or even a week and re-read them to see if I can spot more mistakes!

[fridayeyes]

Changing the font is brilliant, thanks! For me, proofreading always works best on hard copy. If it's make or break, I print it out and mark it up the analog way.

[JennaP]

Try reading your article out loud. That can help a lot too.

[Tianna]

I use this site http://www.spellchecker.net/spellcheck/ to double check my grammar and punctuation before I send out my articles. It's really good at catching the stupid little mistakes that I miss.

[alex8355]

As far as I know, it is extremely useful to put your article aside for at least one hour, so that your eyes will take rest from it. In an hour you'll look at your work "with fresh glance" and all th errors you've made willbe more visible for you.

[Lisa-Anne Sanderson]

This is happening to me as well. It's really concerning. I went overseas and thought that my articles might improve when I came back, but I had an article rejected very quickly. I'd gone over it with a fine-tooth comb and put it through Paper Rater, but even that didn't work.

I'm finding it all so nerve-racking that I will probably have to give up writing here for a while.

[Lisa-Anne Sanderson]

I hadn't thought of hiring someone to proof-read. That might be the answer, although it will take more hard-earned money away!

[KinsleyRoyale]

Hire me, hire me...lol

Yes we all make stupid mistakes. I make them on my Facebook posts, Blogs, you name it too and it is embarrassing at times. I rely a lot on spell check too and when I don't have it can't spell worth heck.

I usually try to leave it a day and read out loud. I'm astonished what I notice reading out loud, although it is tiring.

[Lisa-Anne Sanderson]

Hi Kinsley,
I did spell proofread wrongly. Thank you for the advice - I will try that. Joining Grammarly
has helped.

[princysharma1990]

I think its becoming a very common problem which Happens with many of us. Even I also face such problem.
But hope that the idea of changing the font would work for me.