Writing and Editing: My Art and My Passion

Chao- This author/blogger has been pursuing a degree in English. Chao is also considering a Writing Certificate, one within Editing and Publishing. The application required students to submit an essay as to why they want a Writing Certificate. Here was one option Chao wrote for that essay.

Writing and Editing: My Art and My Passion

Writing is like theatre; it is the showing of a story but through words. Several rehearsals are experimented where the actors who are the characters and rehearse their lines are permitted a few mistakes and suggestions. They are looked over by the director who is the author and are corrected. Like with writing, theatre holds a great purpose where the actors must be exact in detail, construction, and voice. For if the director is unable to motivate and guide the actors, then the actors are unable to project their voice and character well enough for the audience to understand and enjoy. Writing, no matter the subject or genre, must be exact as well. Language is an art, yet it must be crafted carefully to permit ideas to flow through.

Reading and writing fiction are hobbies I enjoy and am pursuing to make them a career. I chose English to be my major in my first year of college as I became interested in editing and the publishing world. I am fascinated with how words can be laced together to illustrate a story or an idea. Reviewing what is available for the Writing Certificate, I am interested in the Publishing and Editing section. If writing is like the theatre, then an editor is like a stage manager; we guide the directors in that their choices are understood by the characters and audience.

I became interested in editing when I began reviewing my own works in fiction. I found the process of deleting superfluous paragraphs and finding synonyms for cluttering words fun. I like seeking new words, and I like embellishing ideas.

Editing other people’s written works is a field that I am already experienced in. I have been hired by a couple of clients for fanfiction, and I have offered my input for amateur fiction through A.S.U. West’s writing club First Draft. I give both honest praises and constructive criticisms. In working on a personal level with these novice authors, I needed to be both supportive and sincere. Allowing strangers to review your rough drafts, even final drafts, is not always easy. We are cautious about judgment. Writing is an art, so it is a one that must be shaped carefully.

With some of these classes on the list of the Writing Certificate, I have learned plenty of knowledge and good tricks regarding English. My two most beneficial classes were Rhetoric and Grammar with Dr. Xxx and Technical Editing with Professor Xxx. I found these two classes helpful in learning the structure of the English language and how to be a good editor. I look forward to class—ambitious in learning something interesting that will affect my career as a student and a professional editor. I have kept the textbooks, reviewing those materials when I need information.

Despite working to become an editor for a career, I do not solely apply editing to fictional work. Reviewing pieces, correcting mistakes, and suggesting new ideas are practiced in different aspects of my life. I have taken more pride in writing academic papers. I am also more cautious about what I write and post on blog entries and community-based discussion boards. After all, I have come across in other people’s comments and in my old posts where we understand what we say but others may not.

Writing is like theatre, then I see editing like a stage worker. We help out the actors who are the characters and the directors who are the authors before the final performance is made. While stage managers records the timings of certain cues and lightings, editors assist by guiding the authors through helpful suggestions and constructive criticism. We want to help show the story; we are not the ones telling it. We receive credit on a flyer or a page before a book in small print, yet we are the ones who help shape the overall product. I am happy to have just guided the authors into finalizing their work—their art and their soul.

xxx

Chao- It was a nice essay, but there were some things missing. Chao has done some revisions but thought this would be good to share with whoever came by this blog.