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September, 2005 |
Edit Your EditingEditing. It can be a chore, a refreshing break from writing, tedious,
fun, or any combination of these. For those of us who are full-time editors,
it’s all in a Common Editing MistakesOne common mistake is not reading through the entire document first before
starting your edit. Put aside that red pen (or mouse), sit on your hands,
and settle in for a good, thorough reading of the document. This should
be the first step. (You owe that much to the writer.) You can make notes,
but don’t do the actual work until you have a clear picture of the
document’s purpose and
In your zeal to polish up someone else’s writing, be careful to
avoid taking out the writer’s original meaning. Use your editing
skills to clean it up, but
Another common mistake is making a single change in one particular sentence without seeing if more are needed. Sometimes a problem sentence can have more than just one problem.
We all know that the active voice is best. Yet we sometimes forget that
this sacred rule of technical communication does have its exceptions.
Sometimes it’s a mistake to remove the passive where it is appropriate
or even necessary. Telling the reader/user what is going to happen in
the future after performing a
Some editors like to remove as many unnecessary words as possible. Too
often, though, this translates into removing all definite and indefinite
articles. These articles serve an important purpose. They should be used,
not only for clarity, but also because of the natural flow they add to
sentences. Removing articles can sometimes make someone's writing sound
as if a robot dictated it. “Click Modify Record button. Enter change
in Text fields. Click Submit button. Verify changes in Edit Summary screen.”
Unless you’re editing a screenplay for a science-fiction film, try
to avoid this type of robotic-sounding dialog if you can.
Remember also that you’re not just looking for incorrect comma usage
or poor word choice. No matter what level of editing you perform, your
role is much
Don't forget formatting and spacing. Check for header consistency. Add white space where needed and look for those extra spaces. Check for consistent use of italics versus quotation marks. Don’t be afraid to do a little fact checking if something sounds suspect. If the writer gives a Fahrenheit equivalent to a Celsius temperature, make sure it’s correct. Editing Your Own WorkWhen editing your own writing, pass it off to someone else before you
finalize it. Even if you’re the sole writer at your workplace, have
someone else read it. Another set of eyes that hasn't seen your masterpiece
is often needed to ensure readability. Sometimes you’re the only
one available at work to edit your own writing. However, if at all possible,
ask one of your other Workplace Attitudes and PoliticsWe’ve all been there. You’re the sole writer at work so you’re the one they go to if they’ve written something. Sometimes it’s hard to tiptoe around egos. Especially when you’re editing the writing of a coworker who considers himself or herself a good writer. Although politically you might on occasion have to bite the bullet and let a few things go, don’t be afraid to perform a major slash-and-burn edit if the work really requires it. Remember, you’re doing the co-worker a favor by making his or her writing look good.
If you are the sole editor at work, don’t use the occasion
Be the kind of editor people like to give their writing to. Don’t become the feared Grammar Police or Writing Tyrant of the company. Be the Grammar Guru and Helpful Editor instead. Being a great writer is your responsibility—not theirs. Editing ResourcesIf you’re a seasoned writer but don’t have a lot of experience with editing, check out some of these Web sites and books.
Of course, Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style is always a great choice for the editor, as is the trusted Chicago Manual of Style.
Dave Fonseca is a technical writer at IndyMac Bank Home Lending. He formerly worked as a technical writer at Oracle Corporation and as a content manager/editor for Intraware. He can be reached at dave_fonseca52@hotmail.com.
This article originally appeared in the July 2005 issue of Techniscribe, the newsletter of the Orange County STC chapter.
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