How can you maintain consistent tone and style during editing?

Understand who your audience is and tailor your tone to suit their preferences and expectations. Consider factors such as age, education level, cultural background, and professional context. Adjust your language, vocabulary, and tone accordingly to resonate with your audience. Watch out for tone shifts or inconsistencies that may occur within your writing. Pay attention to changes in language, attitude, or perspective that could disrupt the overall tone and coherence of your piece. Review your writing carefully to identify and address any inconsistencies.

To ensure a consistent tone and style during editing, set up clear guidelines or a style manual before starting the writing. Understand the desired tone and style for the project and refer to these guidelines throughout the editing process. Pay careful attention to details like vocabulary, sentence structure, and overall voice to maintain coherence. Utilize tools such as style sheets or annotations to track specific stylistic preferences and apply them consistently. Regularly review and revise the text to ensure it adheres to the established tone and style standards.

Did you know that Microsoft Word will read your manuscript back to you? I always read my manuscripts back, but sometimes it hurts my throat. If you go to 'review' then 'read aloud' Microsoft Word will read it out. You can even choose different voices in the dropdown menu of the settings section that pops up. Tip: Ctrl + A highlight your text and change the language settings for more voice options. US Spelling has a lot more voices than UK. Please like this post if you find it useful, and see my books on Amazon, thanks!

Before you submit any work, you need to take time away from the piece. There is no way to check consistency of tone on a piece you've been staring at and refining for hours, or even days. Walk away (if you're on a deadline, take the time you can) and then come back when you have cleared your mind as much as possible. This (even brief) space from your work will allow you to better evaluate whether your writing has accomplished your, and your client's, goals.

Bring yourself back to the place you were when you began your story. Maintain the same conversational tones throughout. Never forget each character has their own distinctive tone and character. Keep them alive and interesting. You may have a few grammatical changes or in depth background to add. But from start to finish it should flow like a conversation. An enjoyable conversation. A memorable conversation.

One thing I've found is that style tends to evolve with the writer. It's okay if your writeup sounds different than your previous work. Although it is important to take that into account before you start a new project. This awareness help you stay on track throughout the new WIP.