Editing Checklist

[Carol Rose]

I saw this today and thought it might be helpful for those struggling with their own self edits.

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/grammar-girls-editing-checklist

What I like about it are the links underneath to further explain their choices.

 

[Alistair Roberts]

Another very useful site. Whilst I would agree with most of it (still reading), oddly a proof reader (Editor) came up with the reverse of this, regarding unnecessary commas. I was taught not to use a comma and an AND! The editor added them in, but....lol >>
"Wrong: Bob likes pandas, and visits the zoo often.
Right: Bob likes pandas and visits the zoo often."

So what does everyone else prefer? Probably it depends on the exact situation and type of sentence etc..

 

[Alistair Roberts]

So, I should have kept reading... very next example, includes the opposite, AND both! Yes I know....
"Wrong: I ate cake, I played games.
Right: I ate cake, and I played games.
Right: I ate cake and played games."

Shutting up now!

 

[Carol Rose]

Comma use at a publishing house is edited according to house style. When doing it on your own, just do the best you can. A misplaced comma here or there isn't going to get anyone rejected.

 

[Jennifer Stone]

Very helpful link, especially since necessity dictates self editing, at least for the moment.

 

[tabby3]

Good resource doc.

 

[Meerkat]

So, I should have kept reading... very next example, includes the opposite, AND both! Yes I know....
"Wrong: I ate cake, I played games.
Right: I ate cake, and I played games.
Right: I ate cake and played games."

Shutting up now!

The first sentence, "I ate cake, and I played games" is correct because it is a compound sentence -- both clauses have a subject ("I").

The second sentence is also correct because only one subject exists for both verbs -- "I."

Whenever you have a subject followed by a verb in a sentence, it should be set off by a comma as its own independent unit within the sentence.

HOWEVER, I don't necessarily think that the "wrong" sentence is wrong if used stylistically. I wouldn't mark it as wrong in copy if I could tell the writer had intended it for effect.

 

[Marc Joan]

I wouldn't mark it as wrong in copy if I could tell the writer had intended it for effect.

That's good, because there are fine examples of writers bending the rules with wonderful results. Of course, any given piece of writing may have a different effect on different people. It's something I am struggling with at the moment, because an editor has asked me to rewrite something taking into account reviewer's comments. Fine, and I am grateful for the feedback. But there will come a point when, by trying to keep others happy, you lose sight of what you wanted to say. It's a difficult balance, and I think part of the issue is that everybody reads slightly different nuances into given words and expressions. For example: to an Englishman, the word 'river' might evoke the warm, gentle flow of the Wind in the Willows; whereas to a Chinaman, the same word might be associated with the capricious brutality of the Yangtse in flood. To a Hindu, brought up on the shores of Mother Ganga, the word might have different connotations again. So, as a writer, how can you hope to produce the same particular vision, the one in your own head, in the head of each of all readers? Perhaps it is not possible.
Sorry, think I have got a bit off-topic here.

 

[Meerkat]

That's good, because there are fine examples of writers bending the rules with wonderful results. Of course, any given piece of writing may have a different effect on different people. It's something I am struggling with at the moment, because an editor has asked me to rewrite something taking into account reviewer's comments. Fine, and I am grateful for the feedback. But there will come a point when, by trying to keep others happy, you lose sight of what you wanted to say.

Exactly. I naturally write in stream-of-consciousness writing, but each time I show my work to others, they critique my "long sentences." Yet I can think of a number of successful writers who write that way, such as Joyce Carol Oates (and Faulkner, not that I would ever compare myself to him). I'm honestly not sure whether they are right. This probably means that I don't trust my voice . . . but I have been to a number of writing workshops in which facilitators have stated that there really is such a thing as a "bad" voice. Which kind of horrifies me, because isn't one's voice subjective?

 

[Alistair Roberts]

I'm certainly no expect Meerkat, but I think long sentences can be find where appropriate, as long as they aren't overdone, ie, don't use them too often. Again, all very subjective but in the end it should be what feels right to you.

 

[Carol Rose]

As in all things, I think a mixture of sentence length is best. Otherwise the manuscript is difficult to read. Either you will have trouble following the train of thought within each sentence because they're too long, or the work will have a choppy, staccato feel to it.

 

[Meerkat]

I'm certainly no expect Meerkat, but I think long sentences can be find where appropriate, as long as they aren't overdone, ie, don't use them too often. Again, all very subjective but in the end it should be what feels right to you.

As in all things, I think a mixture of sentence length is best. Otherwise the manuscript is difficult to read. Either you will have trouble following the train of thought within each sentence because they're too long, or the work will have a choppy, staccato feel to it.

I agree that a series of short sentences sounds too choppy. In both journalism and technical writing, sentences are supposed to be no longer than 33 words, so for a long time, I would shorten my fiction sentences accordingly. The result was, indeed, choppy. I do try to mix it up now, but if I had my druthers, I'd probably write sentences paragraphs long. Of course, I suspect I am just bad at distinguishing between thoughts when I write.

 

[Carol Rose]

I agree that a series of short sentences sounds too choppy. In both journalism and technical writing, sentences are supposed to be no longer than 33 words, so for a long time, I would shorten my fiction sentences accordingly. The result was, indeed, choppy. I do try to mix it up now, but if I had my druthers, I'd probably write sentences paragraphs long. Of course, I suspect I am just bad at distinguishing between thoughts when I write.

I think one of the reasons I never had trouble reading works like Little Women or Jane Austen's novels is because I adore long, rambling sentences. LOL!! It's the way I think, and the way I write before I go back and trim some of those clauses into their own sentence.

 

[Marc Joan]

Yep. I'm with you on that one.