How to fix quirks in your writing style?

[Buck Testa 5,505]

So I have this problem that I'm coming to understand the more I write fiction. There are this little grammatical hiccups that I do that I don't really notice until some one points them out. Like for example, I tend to write "would of " instead of "Would've" because I say would've like "would of" in my daily life. I know the proper word is "would've" but when I'm in the middle of writing and I'm just letting the inner voice do its thing then that's when those little problems start popping up. 

 

Another example is my random capitalization. when I want to emphasize something in my speech I give the beginning sound a little Push, even though in writing it should remain lower case unless its actually warrants it or its the beginning of the sentence. However because that's how my inner voice "talks" when I type then those emphasized words become realized in the writing as seemingly random capitalization.  

 

Its not like I don't know the rules of grammar, but I don't employ all of them when I talk and it shows up in my writing style. How exactly do I filter that out? Multiple drafts seems like the most obvious answer but I'd like some other tips to wean myself off of these quirks so my writing doesn't suffer for it. 

Edited April 15, 2016 by Buck Testa

[Unikitty 1,212]

It's really just a case of weening yourself out of the habit. Perhaps try the classic approach of writing 'would have' a bunch of times together, whilst mentally saying it each time. Eventually you'll knock out the old habit. As for emphasising certain words, I know it's pretty popular to italicise them. It should be used sparingly, but when you want to give a word an extra push, italics are the way to go.

The trick to erasing a bad habit is to replacing it with a good one.

[Jaxsie (Inactive) 1,343]

My answer for you would be to edit every single "would of" and replace it with "would have." Comb through a given story and blot them all out. It may sound tedious (because it is, lol) but if you keep correcting yourself over and over again, you're brain will rewrite the old pathway that causes you to write "would of." The same goes for improper capitalization -- keep correcting yourself. Consistent repetition is key. Hope this helps. b(^-^)