Wednesday, September 21, 2011

COMMENT: You need an editor

Here's a comment from a reader on my post about writers needing editors (whether they think they do or not):
WordzGuy said...
+1, as the kids say. Roger Angell, who knows a thing or two about writing, once said this:

"Every writer needs a good editor. All of them, even the best. It's interesting that the older and best-known and most professional writers are the ones who really appreciate an editor. Young writers are terrified. They think, 'What I've done should not be touched.'"

I will also venture to observe that in these "I don't need an editor" discussions, the writer is probably thinking only about things like minor grammatical errors and typos. Whereas editing encompasses such issues as identifying who exactly the writer is talking to, and why they need the information; whether the information is being presented in a logical and useful order; whether it contains fluff or obscurity, or is simply incomplete; etc.
September 20, 2011 11:32 AM 

Thanks for the comment, WordzGuy.

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

A horrible stacked modifier

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I hate stacked modifiers. Take this:

They have one more against the Angels on Sunday and then try to ruin the baseball lives of the American League wild-card-leading Boston Red Sox next week at Fenway Park. 

"American League wild-card-leading Boston Red Sox" is way too long. This is better:

They play the Angels again on Sunday and then next week at Boston will try to ruin the baseball lives of the Red Sox, leading the wild-card chase in the American League.

It's about the same length, and it gets rid of the huge stack.
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Saturday, September 17, 2011

You need a good editor

I was asking my freelance writers and editors group who they get to edit their stories, and I was shocked. One of the writers said that she didn't need an editor. She's a good writer and self-editor and doesn't make spelling or factual mistakes.

Naturally, I was shocked. I'm a good writer and terrific self-editor, and I always feel nervous when I throw my blogs out there with no one reading them in advance. I constantly write with instead of who or that instead of than. I flip-flop words or transpose letters in a single word. Even though I push tight writing, I get wordy. I can't help it; I'm human.

In the 1990s, I was the auto-racing writer for a newspaper, and on Saturdays I'd be given the auto-racing page to design. Naturally, my column would go on that page, and I would ask nearly everyone in the sports and news departments to read it. I make mistakes, and I need an editor.

And that writer needs an editor, whether she thinks so or not.

Another writer on the freelance network has family members edit her stories or articles. She says that they're all educated and have a writing background. I can understand this writer's feelings, since I have my wife read my magazine or newspaper stories for errors. Of course, my wife was a copy editor at the local newspaper. Different kettle of fish.

My advice: Find a good editor, whether it's a family member who has a degree in English or a professional like me. Don't take chances.

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BLOG ENTRIES FROM THE AUTO RACING JOURNAL
(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)
(the book of great NASCAR stories)
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