Working With Writers

This chapter was full of great suggestions and useful information. I think all of the tips come back to one thing: put yourself in the writer’s shoes. It is so important to remember this during the editing process because it helps cultivate a collaborative relationship. And at the end of the day, that’s what good editing should be. I found it so fitting that they call editors “writing coaches.” It helps keep the goal clear: help the writer!

It doesn’t help the writer at all if the editor just fixes the piece they submitted. All that does is create a cycle. Instead, editors should ask the writer questions to find out about their process. Harrigan says that sometimes writers have to recognize their habits in order to change their results. Addressing these issues promptly may take time initially, but they’ll end up saving more time in the long run.

                Writing is a creative process, which means there are many right ways to do it. Bad editors forget that. They think there is only one way (their way). I am in the performing arts and I live by this. Keeping an open mind leads to really great work. Clearly, this principle applies to writing. The editing process requires two people to get on the same page (what is the story about?) and then bounce ideas off one another to create something spectacular.

This week, I found an editing mistake in our reading assignment. The text says "real good," but we all know it should say "really good."