“Editing hurts, but so do cavities… (Part 3 of 3)

…we can’t see them, so we call the dentist in who can.” – Max Lucado

In line with the necessity of rereading and rewriting our own work – over and over – there is another key ingredient we cannot overlook. It is the role of an editor. This does not mean you have to hire one to proof your Biology paper. It means you need to find a pair of willing “Fresh Eyes.” We are blind to the errors in our own work. This is why a movie director hires a movie editor. He has to trust that editor who is not himself and does not think like himself to recognize quality from quantity. Could it be that “less is more”? The editors in our lives help us refine (and reduce) our writing.

So how do we find someone willing to take the time to edit our (often long and tedious) papers?
In the academia world, we are surrounded by “like-minded, heavy-laden” souls who also have deadlines. It may not be a bad idea to find one or two others and exchange papers for the purpose of editing each other’s work. This is the classic “I’ll scratch your back if you’ll scratch mine” routine. Hey, it is a classic saying because it works. It can even become a “club” of some kind – meet for lunch and make it as fun as possible.

Working hard, making the time, rewriting, and having someone edit your paper will transform your writing … and increase your grade point average. It will also help you become a better writer who knows how to effectively communicate – and connect – with your reader.

A Secret to Great Writing (Part 2 of 3)

One of my graduate professors said that writing is made up of two parts: 20% original thought, and 80% rewriting that original thought. That is why we turn in “Zero Drafts”. These submissions don’t even count as first drafts. Uggh. No one enjoys rewriting. Yet this is the ingredient that separates good writers from great writers. So what do we mean by rewriting? Maybe this will help:

“Sentences are like just-caught fish: spunky today, stinky tomorrow.”
–Anonymous

What sounds good the first time written may not have the same pizzazz the following day. Rewriting starts with rereading. Reread your work (preferably out loud) after you write it. Pretend you are in the shoes of someone who just happens to pick up your work, having no previous knowledge of your subject. Do you have to explain a paragraph’s meaning out loud in order for it to be understood? Then rewrite it the way you just explained it out loud. Conciseness is your friend. Max Lucado said,

“Summarize the entire book into one sentence. All other paragraphs must pay homage to that sentence.”

This, my fellow writing friend, takes work. And work means revisions. (aka, rewriting!) And yet, rewriting is not quite enough on its own … Enter the editor.

“You want to write? Then put your butt in that chair, and sit there for a long, long time.” (Part 1 of 3)

Max Lucado said this in his keynote address at a writer’s conference I just attended. He wasn’t speaking to the audience, however. This is the plaque he reads every time he sits down at his desk. Whether you are writing a paper for a class, hashing out a sermon, or submitting an article, the first draft is not going to cut it. Good writing doesn’t just happen. It’s Work.

A friend of mine casually mentioned the other day that he wants to eventually write “on the side”. He wants to address some deep theological issue, or maybe write about his life … he ended his thought by saying, “Writing is simple.” Is writing simple? Perhaps. Is writing something that others would take the time to sit down and read simple? Hardly.

So what if you’re writing an academic paper on a subject you aren’t really interested in? Write it with the intent of making it interesting and with excellence so that others (aside from your mother) would want to keep reading. Practice with these “deadline” papers, so when you encounter a subject you really want to write about, you will know how to write in order to connect with your reader.

This takes us back to Lucado’s “refined” yet absolutely true statement: writing takes time. Good writing takes practice, just like everything else. It separates the “goods” from the “greats” – the “who’s that?” from the “Michael Jordan’s”. EVERYONE knows who Jordan is. Is basketball simple? Maybe. Jordan took it to a new realm. We have the potential to do this in our writing. So aside from time, how do we get there? It’s called …

Rewriting.

A World of Options

Writing can be expressed in a plethora of ways. It can, no doubt, take the form of many diverse structures. Shall we blend the lines? Or should there be clear points of division? For those who would like to define their particular style of writing, let us divulge further...

One way to differentiate between kinds of writing is as follows:
- Expository Writing - where the writing serves to explain, inform
- Descriptive Writing - writing that serves to show, describe
- Narrative Writing - tells a story
- Persuasive Writing - arguing for or against an issue
- Creative Writing - interestingly, creative writing is a vague term, but it includes (while isn't limited to) fiction (across the genres), poetry, drama, screenwriting, autobiographies and more.

Another way to divide the kinds of writing is from a target audience, or purpose point of view. So there can be:
- Academic writing - includes essays, research papers, reports and so on, each of them may use some of the modes listed above.
- Professional Writing - writing for academic or scientific journals, business reports, position papers, policy statements, and the likes, because these have to follow a standardized form.
- Business writing - includes technical writing, business plan writing, resume writing, letter writing etc.
- Copywriting - writing marketing text, grant writing
- Journalists, columnists, article writers (staff or freelance) - these writers write for newspapers and magazines either news articles, commentary or articles which focus on a certain subject
- Non-fiction book writers
- Fiction - novelists, screenwriters, playwrights, short stories writers, etc.
- Poets