Writers’ Workshop Two Kinds of Editing Pass out small booklet for this workshop

Big-Picture vs Details We use different TOOLS while writing and editing. The Writer—you are in creation mode, get your thoughts on paper, be confident of your words and your vision {symbol: the PEN} The Big-Picture Editor—You are looking at the WHOLE of the piece. You read it all at one time and decide it the pieces flow together well, if the structure is right, if the order needs to be re-arranged or even cut away--noticing {symbol: the HIGHLIGHTER—noticing the pieces that need to be fixed} The Detail Editor—You are looking at the piece paragraph by paragraph, line by line, word by word. You are a fixer. You fix whatever is wrong with the sentences and the words and the grammar. {symbol: A RED PENCIL}

5 Key Steps in Editing Read manuscript through without pencil. No edits, just read to absorb the document. Organizational check. Does any of the content need to be re-organized? Edit for content. Cut extra details or add missing info. Writing style. Check sentences for tone, length, the way words are put together, paragraphs, transitions. Check details. Punctuation, quotations, references, spelling, capitalization, consistency.

BIG-PICTURE EDITING (MACRO EDITING) The role of the editor is to stand between the writer and the reader, trying to make sure that the writer’s message gets through to the reader and clearing the way for the reader to understand the message. It is necessary to read through a manuscript more than once in order to fully understand the structure of the manuscript and to discern what needs to be changed or rearranged. Project exercise : Talk about where project is, currently.

Macro Editing cont. Read manuscript through without pencil. The first time through, you are reading for the content and flow, to get a clear idea of what the manuscript is about. You may want to mark parts where you seem to stumble or misunderstand what is said; do not stop and fix them on this pass through. Read aloud, to see how it sounds. Mark the places that sound awkward.

Macro Editing cont. Organizational check Questions to Ask:   Does every section support the main point? Is every section of the article in logical order? Are there any parts that interrupt the "flow" of the article? Are any of the sections too long in comparison to the others? Would any of the paragraphs work better in another order? Is there a section that you could pull out and use as a sidebar? 
(definitions, practical steps, addresses, numbers that could be charts or graphs ) To cut in order to fit If your manuscript is running too long for the space you have, look first for redundancy. Are some things said more than one time? Look for paragraphs, sentences, or parts of sentences that are not needed for the understanding of the concept being presented. 8. Check accuracy and appropriateness of analogies Do the stories and illustrations used help the reader understand the concept better, or does it confuse the issue?

Macro Editing cont. Some categories to watch for: Scripture Theology   Scripture You want to make sure that scripture that the writer cites is used responsibly. Scripture can be misused to prove almost any point, but scripture has to be understood in the context in which it appears. If you are not sure if a scripture is used responsibly, mark those passages and send to a pastor or someone who is theologically trained. Do the quoted verse and suggested reading reinforce the message of the writing, or would other passages be more appropriate? Does the writer interpret the scripture fairly, and is the passage or story interpreted in its full context? Theology Are the ideas about God’s nature, sin, redemption and other subjects within the range of orthodoxy—that is, accepted through the centuries and also according to United Methodist beliefs? Will the theology cause harm in any way to the reader? If you are not confident in your grasp of theology, find someone who is, and ask them to read through the manuscript for this purpose, marking areas that need to be revised. Cultural Can the writing be understood in your culture? Audience Would this writing be suitable to read in your congregation? Do its insights apply to people in all kinds of situations? Reader Identification Will ordinary readers see the connection between this writing and their daily lives? Is the meditation full of complicated theological language? Will readers be able to picture the ideas in this writing as they read it? Will they find it memorable? Will this writer’s words help people who are going through a similar situation?

How to Read Your Own Writing   Take a piece you wrote in one of the earlier exercises. Use 2 colors of highlighter pens:   Pink for what you like or find interesting. Green for anything you now want to change. Rewrite and revise the green sections. Part in italics is from The Writer’s Way by Sara Maitland

DETAILED EDITING (MICRO EDITING or COPYEDITING) Copyediting is the work that an editor does to improve the formatting, style, and accuracy of text. Unlike general editing, copyediting might not involve changing the substance of the text. Copy refers to written or typewritten text for typesetting, printing, or publication. Copyediting is done before both typesetting and proofreading, the latter of which is the last step in the editorial cycle.   Know your grammar and punctuation rules--or know where to look them up. Study the rules of grammar and punctuation. Review the ones you don’t know. If you have a writing handbook or handouts, keep them out when you write. Refer to them when you have questions as you write and edit. Need to have a standard that everyone goes by, such as Harbrace English Handbook and a common dictionary. Project exercise : Talk about where project is, currently.

Micro Editing cont. Use proofreading marks when editing (Chart/handout) Read one sentence at a time. Using a sheet of clean paper, cover all the text except the first sentence. Read this sentence carefully. Does it sound and look correct? Does it say what you want it to say? Continue down the page in the same way.

Micro Editing cont. Questions to Ask: Any grammar or punctuation mistakes? Any places where a different word would be better? Any spelling errors? Check names, places, etc. Are all the facts correct? Is the Bible verse correct, both the reference and the text? Do the capitalization and punctuation conform to your style?

Micro Editing cont. Mark each error and write the correction on the right side of the paper, using proofreading marks.   Work through the article another time, paragraph by paragraph.

Micro Editing cont. Questions to Ask: Do you need to add any transitions (especially if you moved any parts of the article around)? Is every sentence needed? Ask yourself, Has this already been said? Would the reader lose any important information without this sentence? Has the writer used more words than necessary to explain something? Could you take words out of any of the sentences without losing any meaning? Is there only one idea in each sentence? Is there a good mixture of short and long sentences? Is the point of view consistent?

Micro Editing cont. Add subheads, if needed. Add, or revise the title.   Wait at least a day, then go through one more time. **After you think you are finished editing, have another editor read over the final version and make additional suggestions.