So, I was asked during the weekend to edit a letter my mother was writing. Aside from my fiance's stories that he asks me to look over, that's the first time someone outside of class asked me to edit something for them. It made me realize that this class is teaching me something about editing.
The reading I've done, particularly with The Subversive Copy-Editor, has given me good tips on editing, especially since I'm also a writer. It made me realize that I might inadvertently piss off someone who is editing my work by being stubborn about what stays and what goes, and it relates to the stress I feel when it comes to arguing with someone about a change I've made.
Though I mostly write fiction, I have a keen eye for grammar and sentence structure... except for my own work, which has been proven by my fellow students and my teachers. When it comes to my own work, I fall victim to the age-old concept of seeing what I want to see. When my own work is on the screen, my brain tells me what I want and I end up seeing what I want to see--and consequently, missing mistakes. My article has pen ink all over it, but I'm glad it does. I need someone to call me out on my own mistakes so that I become a better writer and a better editor (I need to look for this stuff in other people's work, after all).
Okay, enough typing. The medication is wearing off and my arm hurts.
No comments:
Post a Comment