Once in a while I get to work on an editing assignment or 'proofreading plus' where I get more of a free rein with the text. Most of my work is tinkering here and there with texts, correcting errors and tidying things up. When you get to work on a job where you are allowed to flourish a little, play with the text, rewrite to how you as a writer think something could come across better, it is very liberating.
Proofreading and certainly editing demand a certain restraint and some caution; eliminating the author's voice is not what you want to do, and alot of the time you are working within someone else's house style. The 'free rein' type of assignment once in a while is a bit like having had a Ferrari for a few months, but only first and second gear were working, and then suddenly you manage to fix the gearbox...
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Proof reading, editing and copywriting thoughts from Finland. On weekdays my name is e-Teksti.
1 comment:
When I'm subbing a newspaper article there are often numerous grammatical errors but by and large reporters are capable writers so there is less scope for rewriting. Every so often though you get something cobbled together, usually by some freelance hack somewhere in the Cotswolds, which needs major surgery. This is good fun but, given the time constraints, often quite testing. That's when I feel I'm really earning my money, turning something round in under a couple of hours.
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