As I read the supplemental reading this week I thought to myself, “Edit other people’s papers as you would want your paper edited.” I think it’s important to “keep an open mind” just like the author explained in the book.  I thought back to high school when my peer Joey would edit my paper to shreds and I would always think, “Don’t you have one nice thing to say? I just spend 6 hours writing that.” There was another girl Hannah who realized that my creation was part of me (like the author explained in the chapter) and would politely tell me what she thought would change my good paper to a great paper. I would often just ignore Joey’s comments because I did not like the way he edited my paper, but I would take every critique from Hannah and change my paper accordingly.

I tried to edit my boyfriend’s paper while remembering the four most important words in editing, “It’s not your story.” In the future, I will improve my editing skills by focusing on the editor's checklist at the end of the chapter. I will try to write more to improve my editing. I will always try to listen to the writer and own my mistakes. I will also read more so I can identify good writing when I see it. This class was challenging to me, but I feel like it was one of the most important classes I could have taken as I pursue a degree in communications.

This week I got an invite from someone on LinkedIn. It said, "Id love to collaborate with link-minded health and wellness individuals like yourself!" The first word "id" is supposed to have an apostrophe and say "I'd."

Good luck on your finals this week! I've learned a lot from you all. 

            

Week 15

While reading this chapter, I was sort of afraid to edit someone else’s paper. How will I know what to look for and what if I do mess up and turn their work into something they don’t want? I took to heart the feeling of when someone else is reading your paper. I’ve taken plenty of papers to the Writing Center and felt my heart drop when the editor started to read my paper out loud. “No, I don’t want you to read it out loud! Everyone will hear it!” I give kudos to all the Writing Center tutors, it must be a hard job editing people’s papers every day.

              This week I had the opportunity to edit my boyfriend’s English paper. It was a little easier for me to edit his paper because I am very comfortable with him, but it was still difficult because I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. My biggest thing when editing his paper was trying to get him to talk about the paper, and tell me why he wrote things a certain way. I wanted to understand what he was thinking when he wrote the paper and what he was trying to get the reader or audience to understand while reading. Asking questions was my focus when editing. Not just asking why he wrote a sentence this or that way, but asking what he thought of my suggestions and how he would like to change the paper. 

Week 13 and 14

1.       Precedence

Ø  Precedence is what keeps the viewer interested and looking around the page. This is important to web design because if you can keep the eye moving around the page, the viewer will know more about the information provided on the page.

Ø  This website has great precedence because of the shapes that guide the eye around. The text in the middle is the first thing the viewer sees, and then they see the planets, and the comet leads them up to the upper right corner, which leads the back to the text in the middle. The viewer keeps moving around the page. The colors in the planets and comet also lead the eye around the page. The eye follows the light to dark colors in the big planet and then in the comet.

  Repetition

Ø  The human brain like to find patterns in anything it can, it’s just a part of human nature. When designing a website, it’s important to know that we like to see patterns, it’s appealing to the eye. Therefore, repetition is important.

Ø This website uses great repetition in a very different type of pattern. The people are the repetition as you can find the same character in different areas of the crowd. It’s appealing to the eye because it isn’t a specific pattern, but characters are repeated through the crowd, and the eye tries to find those repetitions.

Week 11

You guys, I thought this week's assignment was amazing. I didn't see any stand out bad headlines in my day to day life, so I decided to take my luck to Google. Does Google every disappoint? I have to share these with you guys.






Isn't this so too good?                                                                                                                         






I saw so many more but will let you guys go on your own to see how awesome they are. I think that it's so easy for us to mess up on spelling, grammar, or punctuation but this is just too ironic. At least this one catches your eye!

Headlines can be tricky to make work, so maybe they were just short on space and needed to cut their letter count down. ;)

Blog 12

Blog 12: One Aspect of Writing Headlines

This week we study even more headlines! Headlines are probably the hardest thing for me. I would much rather write the entire newspaper than a single headline, but I gave it my best shot. I think that the most important thing to remember when writing a headline is to make sure the most important information is there. First, read the entire headline, then formulate the words to include the key words that will represent the story best. I have read so many bad headlines that are misleading and don’t include the important information. Let’s make that change!

My grammar mistake for this week has many glaring errors. First, there is a missing article on the first line. It should say “into a single PDF document.” The second mistake in the second sentence is hard to pin down because I don’t know who or what is allowed. Does MergePDF allow or does the program allow us to set metadata? I would delete “can” so there is only one verb in the sentence. The third sentence and mistake is a subject-verb disagreement. MergePDF is singular, but the verb “do” is plural. It should be changed to “does.” The fourth mistake that I see is within the parenthesis. It would be easier if it said “meanings” instead of “means” to make it clearer.

Week 12

I don't know about you guys, but I struggled with headlines! I had the hardest time working out the number of words I needed for each of my various headlines and having them make sense. It was difficult for me to get the main ideas out of each of the stories and write such a sort idea of it that would catch the eye of my reader. I guess that is just me not being able to cut off the frills of my headlines. Anyone else with me on this??

The other thing I struggled with was the breaking of the headlines. Man, I couldn't get that down. I guess my brain didn't like to see it working in that way and it wouldn't really give me any slack with it. I kept trying though and one day I am so determined to get down the concept of darn headlines!

Weeks 13 & 14

From the websites I searched through for tips on design I found so many things that stood out to me. One thing that I saw was most important to me is a clean layout. I am all about everything clean, no matter what it is. While taking Visual Communication last semester the concept of font was drilled into me. It is so crucial to have a clean font on your web design. Right when someone gets to your page, it needs to be crisp and clear of who you are and what you have going for you on your page.

Another thing that I saw from my research was the importance of colors. Consistency of colors is huge. Your company and your brand should have a set of colors, usually 3-4 that are always used. On your logo, products, and your webpage for branding. The consistency will make it so when people see those colors they automatically think of you. But making sure to keep control of our colors and not use too many in one place, wherever that may be.

Blogs 13/14

Blog 13/14

1. Contrast: Contrast shows separation between design elements and allows elements to be emphasized or deemphasized.

2. Repetition: Repetition goes along with the idea of consistency. When there is repetition or consistency in a design, the viewer recognizes the piece as complete.

3. Alignment: Alignment concerns the placement of text and pictures. Making sure all design elements are aligned properly makes sure that the viewers’ eyes follow the natural progression of the page. It also keeps the page from appearing jagged along the edges

4. Proximity: Proximity keeps similar pieces of information together and organizes design elements. This is important because it places the design elements in the most logical places, allowing the viewers to easily understand where to find where a type of information would be before reading more in-depth.

5. Color: Color is an important design element. This helps the viewer differentiate design elements. Also, specific colors will draw the viewers’ eyes more than others.

6. Spacing (Whitespace): Spacing is important because it helps the viewers see the hierarchy of information. It also allows the viewers to see the design elements. Without spacing or extra white, negative space, then the design elements would blend together with no distinction.

7. Hierarchy: Hierarchy is a design element that is connected to proximity because it deals with the placement of design elements. However, hierarchy focuses on the importance of the information or order of elements.

8. Navigation (Orientation): Navigation and orientation are elements that are specifically important to web design because it involves the usability of the web page, allowing the viewers to use the web page with ease.

9. Typography: Typography is my favorite design element. By consciously pairing fonts together, the designer can control the voice of the information and the tone of the entire page.

10. The Golden Ration/Rule of Thirds: The Golden Ration or Rule of Thirds both state that there either is one area or are specific areas on a page that will draw the most emphasis. By using these rules, the designer can place the most important emphases or focal points for the viewer to focus on.

11. F Pattern Layout: The F Pattern Design was a new concept for me. This theory says that we focus on the information along the left-hand column as well as the information as we normally read left to right. This means that designers should place important navigation information along those lines.

12. Thinking for Different Devices: It is important to analyze a web page in multiple formats because the page will look different on a computer screen versus a phone or tablet screen.

Week 15

Working with Writers was a really interesting article. I'm glad that I took the time to read through it in depth before I sat down to edit my paper. I chose to edit my husband's paper for his media writing class and it was so beneficial for the both of us.

Some points that I took away from Working with Writers was to make sure to include the positive. Pick out positive things that the writer has done a good job with and include that with your coaching. This makes it so the writer still feels encouraged even with all of the items you are helping them correct.

The second thing that I loved was to not change the story. We as the editor are not here to switch everything that they have worked so hard to create, we are there to tweak and to improve. So keep their stories, have all of their ideas, and just work with the writer to improve their foundation they have.

Blog 15: Working with Writers

Blog 15: Working with Writers

Working with writers can be a treacherous adventure. There is a balance between offering suggestions and belittling the writers. As a Writing Center tutor, I have come to the cross-section of suggesting and belittling many times, and it is a fine line to balance as an editor. For this assignment, I reviewed one of my friend’s English 1010 literature reviews. I began by first editing the paper with my comments and then had a conversation with the writer. I learned that by making each editing experience a teaching experience, we can easily balance the line between offering suggestions and belittling writers.

The focus on this paper was solely on wordiness and comma splices which made the process easier than if I had needed to restructure the paper. Luckily the comma edits were easy to insert and mark. The wordiness of the paper was a harder error, but by using the lessons from When Words Collide, I was able to make the paper much more concise. By making the paper concise, the writer was then able to focus on developing content rather than making the page limit.

When I met with the writer in person, I made sure to gently approach the larger edits and focused on using the paper as a learning experience rather than a lecture. Because writers can be sensitive, I wanted to make sure that she was comfortable and not offended. When I talked to the writer, I began by explaining my comma edits and pulled up a few of her examples. Luckily, she quickly caught on, so I moved onto my other concern: wordiness. This was a harder topic to approach because many times writers feel as if their long-winded phrases and sentences are necessary to get the point across. To mentally prepare for arguments, I organized a few responses to some of the wordy phrases that were in the paper. Then, when I brought up a specific phrase or sentence to the writer, I said, “This phrase/sentence was wordy because” and inserted the reason. The reasons included explanation as well as examples. In many of these edits, I provided her with a few options that could make the phrase or sentence shorter so that I could get the point across without taking away the voice, something I feel is very important to preserve.

From this experience, I further learned the importance of being tactful when dealing with writers. In this paper, there were a lot of punctuation mistakes, and I did not want the writer to feel as if she were incompetent. Likewise, when I presented my edits on wordiness, I had to be careful to not simply rewrite her paper and change the voice to my own. By teaching the concepts and providing multiple options to keep her own voice, I was able to present all of my edits in a tactful way without offending the writer.

Additionally, I learned a few new skills when I am writing the edits. For example, instead of editing with a hard copy of the paper, I made comments with Google Docs. This saved paper and still allowed the writer to make the changes. I was wary of using the tracking changes feature in Word because I didn’t want the writer to take my edits and turn the paper in for a better grade with my edits. Using Google Docs comments allowed me to make my edits without the writer getting credit for my edits. In this situation, the writer was able to learn a few things meaning I would have less edits if I were to review their paper in the future.

Overall, this was a great experience for me. As a Writing Center tutor, I review papers all day long, but thinking about the paper as more of an editor than a tutor and editing before the conversation helped the process go faster. In the end, tact was the key component to making it the best experience for both the writer and myself.

Its the final count down!! #15

BLOG 15:

Something that I learned from editing someone else’s paper (a person at work) is that you sometimes need to take a break from looking at the paper, and then come back to it. You need to look at it with a “fresh set of eyes”. The person’s paper that I edited, sat down with me after I had edited it, and walked through it to make sure that I caught everything. She pointed out a few different areas that I added one to many commas, and I had not caught a run-on sentence. Editing can be really hard, but it is kind of rewarding after you are finished. The coaching process is necessary, especially for me in that situation because I am just trying to learn how to edit right now. One other really great thing to note while editing someone else’s paper, is to look at it from a different perspective than your own. Ask who will be reading this paper, and then once you know that information, put yourself into their shoes. You should look at it from a customer’s point of view. It is amazing how much changes when you do that! I was able to edit a paper that was 12 pages long. It was a proposal for an engineering firm, and so the terminology was harder to understand. I really liked that my “coach” aka the girl who wrote the paper, was open to giving me criticism. It is important as an editor, to take criticism and to apply it to your writing.

I am now an  EDITOR!!! What about you guys? How were your editing experiences?

13/14... double whammy!

Design layout!

One thing to make layout-design better is to shoot photos of real people doing real live things. Your photos should face the text, and when in doubt, have one larger photo, instead of having multiple smaller ones. I found that CRS engineers has a great page with one photo of real people, looking at real drawings of engineering work. It is a great example of how a webpage should be set up and layed out. The webpage looks great, and clean. They have their words set around the photo, and they have great gray and white space to break up the different sections, as you scroll down the page.  (https://www.crsengineers.com)

Another great example of web page design/layout, is adobe. Their background goes nice with their colored images selected to be on their cover page. Their photographs are shaped as rectangles, which keeps the format easy, and nice to work with. There is not an overwhelming number of photos compared to words, so it is a good combination. Adobe website can be found here (http://www.adobe.com)

12!

BLOG 12:

This week was more to do with headlines. To be able to write a good valid headline, you first need to read the entire story. You cannot expect to write a good headline without knowing all of the information the headline should really explain and tell the entire idea of the story. In chapter 10 of the reading, it talks about how news headlines serve a number of additional functions, other than knowing what the story is going to be about. It helps you to have a quick guide to news stories, and they help audiences rank the importance of the stories. They will tell you something about the content and about the tone of the story without even having to read the full story. While writing or reading headline, you need to be sure that whatever you are writing or reading, draws to the eye. I mean your eye is what is reading it… right? Yes, it is. A good news headline should bring all of the elements together and should generate the words in a way that provides images to your head. A one liner for a headline should be good enough for a wide story.

Thoughts... anyone?

Blog Post numberrrrrrrrr 11!

BLOG 11:

 WOW... some headlines are seriously lame. Below are some that I recently found, and thought that they should have not been posted to the web, in the first place. 

“Cuffed, drugged and stuffed in a bag” came from a Newspaper headline from BBC.

“Growing concern about North Korea” is very vauge.

Though the headline should reflect the overall idea of the story, I think that these few examples of headlines, are terrible examples because they do not explain it at all. A headline should tell the entire story in one sentence, or at least tell and reflect the most important information about the story. The headline should show how the story affects readers and with the headline that says, “Growing concern about North Korea” shows no real emotion and how it affects the readers. It is very vague and does not talk specifically about what the story is about. Something that I did not see when I was looking for headlines, but it should be watched out for, is to be sure that if it is not a one-lined headline, you must watch how and where the lines break. The headline should really show and stress the meaning of the of the message, and like always, the headline must follow grammar and punctuation rules specific to headline writing. This week as I was reading KSL, I noticed that most headlines are spot on, and really explain the message of the story. Typically, you can tell if you will be interested in the story, just by the headline. That is how it should be.

Week 10!

BLOG 10:

The beginning of a piece of writing, there should something, that is considered what we called a lead. A lead should be the most important or the most unique thing about the entire story. Within the first sentence, it should include who, what, when, where, why and how. It should also say why we as readers should care. In all of writing, the most important piece should always come first. You need to prioritize the information and you should not bury the news. A great beginning of a great news story started off like this… “Flames were practically on top of Dick and Joan Marsala's home when they got an urgent knock on the door and were told to leave.” This is a great example of a good beginning, because it says who it is, what had happened, and it leaves you as the reader, interested to hear more about it. It is a cliff hanger. You can assume that it is about a fire, because of the “flames” but you are not sure what exactly happened or what caused the fire, so you want to read more. I found that on KSL, and think that the types of first liners/leads should have an intriguing element to it, to tie the reader it. For me, the phrase “got an urgent knock on the door and were told to leave.” Made me think what was so urgent that they needed to leave right away?

What are your thoughts on this topic? Have you guys seen any good leads lately?

Week 15

Something that I learned about editing someone else’s paper is, that I’m not very good at it. Haha

It was an interesting experience to say the least. I didn’t feel like I was qualified to do something like that, but it was a learning experience for sure. I had to look up a lot of the previous assignments to give myself a refresher course of everything that we had learned, because I feel like there were so many things packed into one. It gave me a “memory lane” type of feel, going from the first assignment just doing a little quiz to find out what we knew and what we needed to work on. I needed to work on a lot. And getting to the points of headlines and the final assignments.

I had helped a friend with a screen play that he’s writing. It’s definitely not exactly what we’ve been working with, but it’s similar enough to get the point across. It all includes grammar and sentence structure to make something work.

It also took a lot longer than I had anticipated. It wasn’t in a bad way though, it just took a little more concentrating because I thought it would be a bit easier.

Either way. Coaching, in my opinion, is essential. If you have access to someone that has these skills, ask for help. If not, go through a class like this to optimize your grammar and editing skills to make every writing feature the best that it can be.  

Week 13-14

Webpage design. I’ll admit, I never thought we would even touch on something like this in an editing class, but the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.

There are one websites that I’d like to talk about though.

The first one is the website of Volcom.

This is a Brand of boarding sports like skateboarding, snowboarding or surfing.

This website does such a great job of separating its materials by different kinds of swim wear, sportswear, or just normal clothes. Things are spaced out appropriately, but I think the thing that I like the most is that fact that their pictures and background really help to promote their brand.

This particular picture is a shot of a professional surfer wearing a Volcom brand swimming suit and it gives info on what the swimming is called and what professionals are doing with them, that they really do work. The shot is amazing and mesmerizing. I thought it was a great idea to add to a website.

The other aspect of the site that I like is that it is very simple to use. At the top, there are basic tabs that you can click on that will take you to a general destination of what you’re looking for, and it gets more specific as you go, to make the experience as efficient as possible. And, once you get tot eh bottom of the page, it gives you recommendations based off of public popularity, and off of things that you have looked at previously It’s a great site, and I love getting materials from them. They’ve got such a chill vibe going on that I like to be a part of. 

Week 12

One aspect of writing headlines that I wanted to touch on is the point that the Headlines should be worded differently than the leads.

I’ve always found this to be a little difficult. It’s funny because I can write a story just fine for the most part. All you’re really doing is just saying what’s going on, and you put the most important things first. But writing the leads and writing the headlines is just downright annoying.

It’s annoying because these two things do essentially the same thing. Each of them are a condensed version of the story that it precedes, and it gives the most important information. So, the lead is the most important info within about 25-30 words. But the Headline is even shorter than that.  I always thought it to be a little redundant to do that because you’re almost writing the same thing three times. One time really really short. The second time really short. And the third time is the full-length feature.

Learning how to get good at it just takes practice, basically like anything else you can think of. But it takes creativity and quite a bit of skill to make the headline intriguing, then getting to the lead and keeping that even more intriguing to get the readers to read the rest of the article.

It was something that I hated about the assignment, but also something that I appreciated it, because it taught me a lot and made me realize how creative a journalist needs to be every day even with the most mundane things happing.

Week 11

Headlines have not always been my strong point. I’m not super into journalism, and most of the time I think that the public newspapers do a great job with their headlines. But, taking a deeper look, and considering all of the things that I have learned in this class, there are more things that I notice for a good and bad headline.

There was a headline that I came across that isn’t recent, or anywhere local, but I thought it was hilarious.

It’s a headline from Mississippi. It says: Missippi’s literacy program shows improvement.

I thought it was hilarious, and obviously to the people who had posted it was funny too, but they misspelled the state and it was a post all about literacy of the state. That is something that definitely needs to be looked over twice or maybe even three times, just so that people don’t look like idiots on a very public level.

A good headline that I came across was this: Woman charged with battery after McDonald’s bacon argument turns physical.

Most people, like myself would think, what the heck? The headline is hilarious and leaves you wanting to read more.

I you have a poor headline, it will render your article invisible. Which I believe to be true. It’s still something that I need to work on, because I’m not the best. But I thought that this one was so good, it was so bizarre that there isn’t any way you can pass up reading it just based on the headline.

#15 Being an Editor

            This semester I had a screenwriting course and luckily I had the surprising pleasure of editing another student’s work. We exchanged 20 pages of our work and edited them for each other. It was a surprisingly enjoyable endeavor to plod through their work and correct the many errors I found. Through what I learned, I helped a fellow student get their work up to a higher level.

            Much of the mistakes I revised were ones of laziness and lacking in common sense. As the semester comes to a close, the work piles up quickly and the load can become overwhelming. Unfortunately, that can result in poor work turned in right before deadlines. Cramming work into the very last minute can cause people to make common mistakes that they would not normally make. My main advice to the writer was to slow down. The story was interesting adventure of a man trying to save his friends and himself during a zombie apocalypse. It would never win Oscars, but very fun nonetheless. Therefore, I made suggestions and advice, while building up the idea that his story was unique and intriguing.

            Under our professor’s instruction, we met in person to go over the finer points of our stories. Having face to face conversations help to get the dialog flowing. We did a little editing through text, but that stayed short and choppy. Without being forced to interact like you are in person, the conversation can simply stop after a phrase or two. When we sat down with a cup of coffee, the conversation will expand and delve deeper into where the story can go. Although, it will also cycle around what needs to be fixed. The writer’s work I looked over, left names out when writing dialog, failed to capitalize names, and had a multitude of run-on sentences. Taking time to work with the writer, I found it much easier to critique the mistakes when I could shift focus back to the positives often.

            During the interview, I asked as many questions as I could. The reading was proven true when I used questions to show the writer his mistakes. It helps to ask for clarification in the writing instead of putting out problems bluntly. I have a habit, not sure if it helps, but I generally preface my questions with, “I might be dumb but…” and shifting the blame to me seems to help. Asking a question under a pretense of their higher intelligence, allows them to explain pieces of the story rife with errors, which can illuminate the errors to them on their own, or I will bring it up during their explanation. This method might not work for some because of the perceived dim-witted mask you must wear.

            The Working with Writers chapter may not be solely the most important reading of the semester, but it is the culmination of what we have worked toward. Through using what we have learned about grammar and editing, we combine that with this chapter, and see how it all comes together. You cannot do the job of an editor without the other lessons, but this lesson brings it all together, showing us what we can be with all we learned.

I believe it is very important to mix the writer's words with the editors rather than completely change the writer’s work. The supplemental reading said it was crucial to blend ideas and provide direction. By doing this, the editor leaves the writer in control of their work. Editing is a collaborative process where the editor listens, advises, and applauds the writer throughout the journey.

Important concepts on working with writers that I learned from the supplemental readings this week are as follows:

•  Share examples from newspapers, radio, television, and poems to keep the conversation geared towards writing.
•  Ask questions, listen, and share ideas. Then return the copy of the work to the writer to correct.
•  Give constructive criticism by telling the writer what he or she did well and why you believe it was good.
• Be specific with your editing by providing lists of words the writer can improve.

Things I found helpful while working as an official editor were:

• Accentuate the positive by expressing everything you found well-written in the paper.
• Find the best thing about the story and give praise to the specific details you like.
• Challenge the writer to do better.
• Limit your focus to the most important and immediate issues. Then teach the writer how to avoid these mistakes in the future.
• Keep an open mind and embrace the writer’s choices.

I found this last assignment particularly interesting. I chose to edit a five-page paper that my friend Braden wrote for his sales class. Braden and I have been friends for almost a year now and work together. We're both pretty easy going guys just trying to grind our way through school. I'll share an experience I had while editing his paper.

During this assignment "Working With Writers," one of the tips was to accentuate the positive, even more than seems necessary. I decided to do this with Braden and when we met face-to-face to discuss why I edited some of his writing, I rattled off a bunch of things that I found he did exceptionally well in his paper. Even though I don't think Braden would ever get mad or upset by my editing and we're great friends, I literally saw his posture change from tightly sitting upright to a relaxing position when I began complimenting his works. There was instant trust and we both got what we needed, I edited his paper, and he received constructive criticism. It was a cool experience and I found that tip from the chapter to be quite useful. I will definitely have to use that in future editing. 

week 15

Time has flown by this semester. We are now writing our final blog for the semester. I chose to edit a paper that my group was writing for our advertising project. Everyone had their own section to write. I went over the assignment with my group, page by page. We found mistakes that could have been avoided the first time. We all worked as a group and looked over the assignment. I was going through the paper, using what I learned in my editing and PR writing class. The session was helpful for all of us. Reading the paper out loud was key in hearing the mistakes. Adding a comma, starting a new sentence or taking out a word that didn’t need to be used.

The assignments helped me to have a better understanding of seeing other writing styles. Each person writes differently. That is what makes it better for us to learn more. The experience I had plus the ones that I will have in the future will prepare me in my career.

A mistake that I found was in an online article. They were simple spelling mistakes that could have been avoided if the writer reread it.

The writer wrote, “ Brake ups and makeups are the only consistent things in the relationship.”  It should be break ups and make ups.

Good luck to everyone on finals!!! Happy Holidays!

Week 15

Well, I can hardly believe that the semester is over.

I have learned so much about myself this semester, and about writing. I'm grateful for all the tips you have shared through the blog and hope that you've all found value in the art of editing.

The paper that I edited this week was for my husband, which, I think, made it all the more delicate and close to home. When you're working with someone who is close to you, it's important not to make the editing process personal in any way. I found that as Trevin and I focused on the writing, stripping it down to the organization, voice, and flow of information, we were successful. If I ever made a general statement about something that he was doing wrong rather than pointing out a specific example, explaining how it could be improved and then explaining why my suggestion could be valuable in strengthening the writing, it wasn't nearly as productive.

I also loved the tip in the reading about emphasizing the positive rather than nitpicking the negative. Of course there will be things that need to be fixed, but that doesn't mean there isn't also much good to point out. That ended up being one of the most valuable parts of my editing session with Trevin. As I gave him encouragement and compliments about the strength of aspects of his writing, he felt much better about fixing it up and making it flawless.

My example of an editing mistake this week came from an article online about medicine. The article read,

"In 2007, the most recent available, Americans spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on alternative care." 

I found the first clause very difficult to follow. It should have read, "In a survey from 2007, the most recent available..." essentially, "the most recent available" needs to be referring to an object in order to make sense.

I hope that you all have a wonderful finals week! Best of luck and Merry Christmas!

Weeks 13-14

Weeks 13-14 

Layout and design are exceptionally important to me. I come from a family of business owners. My sister is a graphic designer and my dad has created dozens of websites for his business. I have uncles who are marketers and professional photographers, and an aunt who is an artist. Overall, I’ve been taught from a young age that presentation is essential for success. 

While I was looking for good website design, I stumbled across this website, https://www.canva.com/learn/website-color-schemes/ which links to 50 other websites with exceptional use of design—especially color scheme. I was so mesmerized by many of the websites that even after I’d finished the assignment, I still took time to look through the rest. I learned so much about making a webpage visually pleasing and balanced. I really recommend checking it out. 

It also links to this site, https://www.awwwards.com/sites/van-gogh-museum which includes the winners of several different categories of web design winners. Whether you’re into modern, striking, high-contrast design, simple and understated layout or faded, vintage nuance, you won’t be disappointed by the dozens of examples on this site of simply exceptional visual design. 

This week I wanted to share an editing tip that I found on the web. It has proved very helpful to me as I’ve proofread work! I hope that you, also, will find it useful. 

Week 10!

Week 10 

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, 1813

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

Pride and Prejudice is one of my very favorite novels because of Austen’s sheer, unadulterated cleverness. Her witty commentary, presented in a polite and seemingly innocent manner, is always underlined with a conflicting message. This opener to the novel is effective because Austen uses such a broad statement, that, by society’s standards, is unquestionably true. In her day, it was a truth universally acknowledged. However, there is something in Austen’s way of working the sentence that shows Elizabeth’s unnerve with expectations and the status quo. 

Good writing does not always have to be obnoxiously obvious. Someone reading this novel for the first time with no prior understanding of Elizabeth as a character or Austen’s prose would probably not even pick out the nuance. However, after finishing the novel, if they flipped back to that first sentence and read it again, it would all make sense in a perfectly clever way. 

Editing tip for the week is to remember that everyone has a unique and valid voice, and that if you are ever given the privilege to edit their work, you must highlight that rather than putting it down. My editing mistake to show this week was in my own condescending editing of a paper that deserved better. Make sure to always remember that one! 

Week 15

Hi Friends!

For my editing assignment, I was blessed with the opportunity to edit my mom's Resume, Cover letter, and Letters of Reference. I was nervous for a couple reasons. First, I wasn't sure I would even have anything to edit in the first place. Secondly, I didn't want to sound mean, rude, or presumptuous. Reading through the writing was a breeze, though, and I quickly found it was easier to find opportunities for improvement than I imagined, and sounding like a jerk was not as inevitable as I imagined. I believe that was also partly due to the assigned reading that gave a number of suggestions for how to sound sensitive and conscientious rather than snarky and demanding. 

For my mistake this week, I came across some awkward sentence structure while researching the history of the Michelin company for another class. As you read, you will see some of the sentences seem to be run-ons and excessively long, while others are too short. I do not think it is to add variety to the sentence structure because it lacks an overall flow. Rather, it might be an issue with the way the sentence was translated from French to English. It may have been translated too literally and be in need of more grammar accommodation.