Editing Interludes: Writing

November 29, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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It’s the temptation of commas, the struggle of hyphens – sentences are offered to a page, structured again and again. They mock with their imperfections, demanding constant revision. An introduction has been changed. A thesis has been narrowed, broadened and then shaped into an entirely different ideal. Adjectives are offered and then quickly retrieved (they offend with their lackluster descriptions, the too common meanings). You edit; you ponder; you edit once more. Hours are given to the cause of perfection and, when it’s finally achieved, you scribble out the next paragraph – and the process begins again.

This is an all too frequent mistake made by academics. The need to revise is overwhelming; and time is devoted to searching over sentences, trying to discover what can be improved. One simple replacement of a semi-colon can turn into an entirely new block of text. And minutes that should be offered to research are instead given to the too involved proofreading.

It is an easy assumption that all editing is to be done as words are inked out. Writers believe they can craft far better prose if they transform it as soon as it’s begun. This will leave no time for errors to settle onto the page, they think. It will instead offer convenience.

This is wrong.

Too often do these attempts at revision only distract – inspirations are lost; style is shifted into dull grammar; and the purpose of a paper is forgotten. There is no chance for genius, only the mechanical approach to forcing its appearance.

It is therefore strongly recommended that all writing is allowed to simply exist. Form a first draft that is drenched in mistakes to ensure it is also drenched in creativity. Do not pause to edit. Do not stall a sudden clever notion to adjust dashes. Instead offer every idea you wish to have and then redefine them. It enables you to utilize your own mind and create stronger papers.

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The Cliched Response: Writing

November 6, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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It’s a struggle of words, the ever waning metaphors: you can think of no descriptions, no precise way to define a singular moment. Your research has offered all of the necessary facts; but your thoughts can’t conjure the just as necessary adjectives. There are only weak phrases and inelegant attempts – and so you place a proverb within the page instead, a familiarity. It is not meant to be permanent, only a simple placeholder. But, as you eventually finish the rest of the paper, you think perhaps it should remain. It offers an easy explanation. There should be nothing else required.

There is.

As tempting as cliches can be, they are to be avoided within academic (and even fictional) writing. You are not to substitute prose with the overwrought expressions. This offers no advantage to you and instead limits the success of your paper:

One. Reader confusion. While you can understand the meanings of a specific adage, it may only baffle a reader. Too many cliches are specific to cities or states, certain time period. These will only startle an individual from the page and leave them confused.

Two. Detract from importance. Academic writing is meant to prove a certain point. Such proof, however, cannot be found in proverbs. These will only lessen a conclusion and will not offer the needed potency.

Three. Lack of creativity. You are not defined to simple folk humor, the too often mimicked sayings. Choosing to rely on these therefore does not allow you to offer your own inspirations. They mark you instead as dull.

You have completed all of the vital research. You have crafted a strong thesis. You cannot therefore undermine all of those efforts by allowing these commonalities to seep into your writing. They are not to be used beyond casual conversations. They must instead be replaced to far more precise (and interesting) phrases.

Academia demands competence, not cliches.

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Eliminate Unnecessary Words in Your Papers

October 12, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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Adding “fluff” or unnecessary words is one of the worst things you can do in academic writing and research. Whether you are writing an essay or first person narrative, your paper has a purpose, so make every word count. Your main mission is to captivate your audience and keep them focused on your paper. Being unnecessarily verbose detracts from the main points in your paper, distorts your goals as an author, and reduces clarity throughout the process. There are many ways to increase the effectiveness and accuracy of your work, but the easiest solution is to remove clichés, slang expressions, prepositions, and generalized content.

Chances are if you do not know what a cliché is, you are using them throughout your paper. Clichés are overused phrases that were once popular, but have since become overused. Sometimes clichés represent a stereotype or exaggerate a situation. Rather than using clichés, stretch your creative channels by describing the situation using colorful diction and vivid imagination. Furthermore, clichés detract from the overall literary value of your work and cause the reader to lose focus.

Good writers know the difference between prose and conversation, but many students write as if they are “speaking” the words aloud. A conversational piece should read much differently than how one speaks. Some overly vague and unnecessary words include “so, because, you know, and like” in addition to thousands of other phrases. Replace these words with academic-friendly terms, including “whereas, herein, furthermore, in lieu of, and with regard to.” If the word or phrase does not help define your topic or provide required imagery, replace it with another term.

Creating concise work does not mean you cannot use imagination or creativity – succinct papers are actually more vivid and descriptive than vague works. Ensure each sentence has a purpose and supports or rejects your introduction. The same rules apply when writing emails or other correspondence, so remember to “trim the fat,” which is a cliché, on your next paper.

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Commas, Apostrophes, and Hyphens Oh My!

October 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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While we may be living in a content-centric society, do not underestimate the importance of proper punctuation, semantics and syntax in your papers. Academic writing and research requires a high degree of professionalism, so do not under sell your work by using poor punctuation. More importantly, the way in which you utilize punctuation affects your linguistic strategy. Hyphens, commas, and apostrophes all affect the readability of your prose.

Commas

Chances are you have read a sentence in one of your periodicals that made you lose your breath for a second. If not, perhaps you should read more carefully. Sentences are long strings of text, thus you need a marker to signify a pause, or change of thought. Commas help differentiate various parts of a sentence for your readers. Sentences lacking commas are often referred to as run-on sentences, because readers have a difficult time reading the entire clause in one breath.

Apostrophes

Academic discourse frowns upon the use of apostrophes, but there are times where you will need to utilize them in your work. The best example of poor usage of apostrophes are “don’t, I’m, aren’t, etc,” as stating “do not, I am, are not, etc” increases readability and portrays a professional vibe. Apostrophes are also used in the possessive form, as in “the boy’s.” There are many rules for using apostrophes, but following these basic principles clarify your prose.

Hyphens

If hyphens confuse you, know you are not alone! These tiny grammatical elements stir up quite a bit of trouble in the writing community! You can use hyphens to connect two words or numbers, increase clarity, connect prefixes and suffixes, and split words onto the next line. For example, thirty-six, ex-author, T-bone steak, and 45-degree angle are all appropriate uses of hyphens.

The next time you go to submit your prose, take a moment, and review the content for proper syntax and punctuation. Having a well written and grammatically sound paper boosts your chances of success.

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Automate Your Proofreading Efforts with Grammarly

September 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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Being an effective writer does not necessarily mean you know how to write according to syntax (the traditional rules of grammar). While most journalists identify major issues, such as comma splices and sentence fragments, they rely on their copy editor to catch the minor grammar errors. Freelance writers, students, and other professionals do not necessarily have their own editor, which is where Grammarly (http://www.grammarly.com) fills the void. Reminiscent of your college English professor, Grammarly identifies nearly all grammar and syntax errors ever known.

Grammarly is the star of recent writing news stories, as it is designed with students in mind as their target audience. Ideal for academic writing and research, Grammarly enables someone to copy their text into the web application, press a button, and watch the computer use the traditional “red marker of death” while it identifies problems. Each paper is given a score between 1 and 100, identifies the professionalism of your work in relation to word choice, readability, and grammar.

Grammarly cross checks each paper with hundreds of databases to check the work for plagiarism, similar to how CopyScape works but with increased accuracy. Once the paper is checked for more than 350 potential problems, it is up to the user to make the necessary corrections. Sometimes, Grammarly offers helpful advice or the corrected word (or phrase). Most of the time though, the program highlights the erroneous text, identifies the problem, and explains how to fix it.

Teacher or Copy Editor?

Most importantly, Grammarly does not fix the text for you. While you can recheck the document after the corrections are made, the computer does not solve your grammar flaws. Click on an error, read about the problem, and attempt to remedy the situation. Because Grammarly makes you think – and use your brain – schools and institutions support it. In many ways, Grammarly is your virtual English teacher who grades your papers and provides feedback. In the end, even the best copy editors would not do your dirty work.

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