Editing? Let your computer read to you.

One of the best ways to edit your writing is to read it aloud. A member of my writer’s group suggests an improvement on the technique: have the computer read to you while you follow the text to check punctuation.

Both Mac and Windows operating systems have this feature under “accessibility” options. On the Mac, you simply highlight the text you want to review, press Option/Escape, and follow the text as you hear it read.

Additional tip for Mac users: “Samantha” is a more human-like voice than “Alex,” the default. You can change this under Accessibility/Speech options.