Editing and Proofreading
Whether you are polishing your own work or someone else’s, revision is an art that can make the difference between a communication that confounds or one that leads to action and understanding.
You will learn:
- The three levels of editing, and the difference between editing and proofreading
- When to re-write (Stephen King knows)
- "Reverse branching" as a way to provide logical progression and organize something that seems to be a complete mess
- Tricks of the pros for endings that get the reader involved
- The one most important question you need to ask before editing
- Substitute simple, straightforward language that has impact for convoluted phrases that weigh your message down
- Create a tone that is persuasive--polite, courteous and informational
- Apply the ancient principle of "ducle et utile" as a test of your finished piece
- Judge how the audience will respond
- Test readability, especially when presenting technical material to non-technical readers