This post was first published here on October 17, 2012. I am a firm believer in the benefits of going back through a manuscript several times. The first rewrite is to deal with story issues, but a second or third draft should focus on ways to improve our use of language. Sometimes we write in such a hurry that we overlook the fact that the word placement and usage may not be quite right. "Sirens screamed, bouncing off the buildings and deafening me. " Wait a minute. Were the sirens bouncing off the building or the sound?  "Sirens screamed, the noise bouncing off the buildings and deafening me." "As I pulled into the warehouse parking lot, the smell of smoke lingered in the air." For some reason that just didn't read smoothly to me. Perhaps it is better this way? "Stepping out of my car in the warehouse parking lot, I caught the lingering odor of smoke." "She tapped my forehead with the revolver then slipped it int...