So something very exciting is happening, (not like, huge, ginormous life-changing exciting - well, maybe - kinda tip-o-the-iceberg thing...maybe), and I'll share it when it's all said and done. Don't get too excited...it's super small scale in the big picture of things, but somehow there's some old proverb here about how a grain of rice to an ant is tantamount to Everest or something to that effect. It has to do with writing (YAY!). No, not a book...not yet. But in order for it all to happen, as per standards of practice, my piece has to be edited.
Silent pause (much more appropriate than a southern-belle gasp, lace fan a-flutterin', back of hand slapped to forehead...you get it).
I've been an editor, both informally, and professionally (when I got to capitalize the 'E'). I get it. Of course pieces have to be edited. That's the way it's done. It's extremely rare to find a piece of reading that's literally, perfect in every way. Especially to the eyes and sensibilities of experienced and professional writers and editors. Oh, the field day one could have with this, for instance! But I'm relying on blogger-life license for the freedom from the constraint of literary style manuals.
But most of my writing, when submitted to publications gets pretty much laid in just as it is. I typically give it a few rounds of editing myself before sending it anywhere, and of course, always have other eyes on it - but not necessarily those of writers/editors. I'm fact-checking - making sure I understood things right, that I'm inviting the public to the right place, date, and time, etc.
This is the first piece I've submitted anywhere that's not in the journalistic style. Oh, well, now that I think about it, that's not entirely true. But that only other one that I did, was indeed, slapped up on the internet in its entirety. That page doesn't exist anymore. They were hungry for content and collected as fast as they could. Not exactly a recipe for success. That's no reflection on the editor (who did not create the page) - it was a business that spread itself too thin to begin with. But I digress.
So being the kind of piece it IS...I'm fraught with wondering what they'll do to it. It's not that long, and what did I or didn't do? Did I miss some punctuation? Do people punctuate anymore? Are they miffed at my double spacing after a period (sorry, won't let that one go - call me a dinosaur - a spaceosaur, as it were)? The word count was constrained, so I had to really cut things down to make it fit - what could they possibly take out? Did they not realize how much time I spent on it before (apparently not)? Don't they know who I am (definitely not)? Don't they...
Yeah...they might. And they probably don't. It's just a first for me - a new set of feelings that I never wanted to deal with before. And really, in the grand scheme of things does it change who I am? Will it change my style? My intent? No. Their job is to actually help me look good to more than say...just my mom (who's opinion I do value greatly - just making a point). Just like I used to tell people whose work I edited.
Ah...I get it. I really do.
1 comment:
This sounds exciting! Tell us more and Good Luck!!!
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