....writer me vs editor me
By jeanneyvonne
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
Philippines
November 30, 2011 8:37am CST
Lately, I have been writing and writing. In my current situation, I regard writing a distraction from the notion of writing a hard academic paper. All is pleasant when I received a notification that I'm in danger of being let go because of a few minimal errors.
I understand that clients want high-quality work and in my place, it is my job to be a writer and self-editor. However, sometimes I got stuck on being a writer. As everybody knows its hard to cut your own words (even though your work demands it). It also doesn't help when I do have a tunnel vision in regard to my work.
It;s hard to keep apart the writer side and the editor side. Sometimes, my writer side usually won over my editor. It doesn't help me or my work.
Advice please. How do you keep apart your writer's voice and your editor's voice reach a compromise?
2 responses
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
30 Nov 11
The two best methods I've found are:
a) Walk away, do something else, come back. Take a break for an hour, eat, watch TV, read, play games, whatever. The longer you can leave a piece of work alone and come back to it fresh, the more likely you are to see it with "new eyes".
b) Print it out and read it aloud to yourself. When you hear your own words, you'll often think "Oh dear, did I really write that?" 
I'm a bit of an obsessive editor. That's why I sent my book to a third-party professional (ouch, expensive). I knew that if I self-edited it, I'd miss stuff.
I'm a bit of an obsessive editor. That's why I sent my book to a third-party professional (ouch, expensive). I knew that if I self-edited it, I'd miss stuff.@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
30 Nov 11
Love the quote. I try to be as efficient as I can when I'm self-editing.
However, one of my clients have a time limit for a set of work. I have to write and self-edit it in a haggard mode. In reflection, I do miss some stuff when I do self-edit but a deadline is a deadline.
I would agree on the third party professional. I tried to hire an editor for my self but none of them look appealing. Guess I have to do with 'fresh eyes'.
One of my friends recommended various grammar checkers but I am wary of their effectiveness.
1 person likes this
@SpikeTheLobster (6403)
•
30 Nov 11
Editors are expensive if you're ploughing through a lot of work. I spent $450 on one this month. 
Grammar checkers are useful but they don't do a very good job, especially with conversational or odd English. I've seen some suggested changes from the one in Word that made me laugh out loud, they're so bad.
Grammar checkers are useful but they don't do a very good job, especially with conversational or odd English. I've seen some suggested changes from the one in Word that made me laugh out loud, they're so bad.@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
1 Dec 11
I noticed that too when I seen my friend use one. Some 'corrected' words aren't really corrected at all, when you take the context into consideration.
@nishdan01 (3051)
• Singapore
1 Dec 11
Self read and read is the only way. If that doesn't seem to work, you could get someone for help to do that for you. That might cost you a bit more, but quality and reputation is what matters most for a writer.
