Friday, July 13, 2012

Red Wine & Red Pens

As you may know, I am in the process of putting together a fantabulous book of essays with my BFF of the blogosphere: MOV over at Mothers of Brothers Blog.  So here's the problem:  we're working on editing stuff now.  Editing.  That's where we're supposed to slowly read our draft and find errors, flow issues, and consistency irregularities.  These are all endeavors that require patience, a careful eye, and a very very slow pace.

If you've ever met me, you would understand my dilemma.  I walk incredibly fast.  So much in fact, that my husband is usually a block or two behind me when we head to dinner downtown.  I eat fast.  While my husband is still applying condiments to his entree, I'm already looking at the dessert menu.  Even my speech is a rapid-fire barrage of words and thoughts that leave most people just smiling and nodding without the slightest clue of what I've just said.

And when I read?  I'm on fire.  Being an overachieving Mega-Nerd back in my college years, I would typically take 6-7 English classes a semester  That amounted to having to read the equivalent of a full-length novel each day.  I learned to read very quickly, glossing over filler words and focusing more on the big picture stuff.  My eye for detail is non-existent. 

This also explains why I'm always falling in potholes.

But I'm trying.  I bought the appropriate supplies:     



I also drank some red wine to help slow me down.  I'm embracing deep, yoga-like breaths to help relax and center me.

I think my efforts are paying off.   I fell sound asleep with our manuscript stuck to my sweaty forehead yesterday.

Slowing things down is awesome.  I feel so well-rested. 

Now where did I put those pens again?

16 comments:

  1. wed wine kan weelly,weelly, (hic) help the ebiting pocess..or at least make it more fun lol
    MBF

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  2. I will tell you a secret: I actually make extra money editing books. All I'll say is: good luck. It's really difficult to edit your own stuff. (But if anybody can do it, it's you two!)

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  3. Editing is the WORST, and wine is a MUST to get through it. I like to edit in green or purple so the pages don't look like they're bleeding at the end. :-)

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  4. I agree with Kirby -- it's very difficult to edit your own writing, but with perseverance you can do it! (P.S. I'm an editor, too. I prefer a red pencil, but sometimes I use green or blue.) Good luck!

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  5. SO EXCITING! I suppose thoughts like that don't help to slow you down!

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  6. Wait, uh, we are writing a book together? Do I know about it?

    xxo
    MOV
    ps-- will send chocolate to help slow you down with editing. It does not actually help with slowing down, but it helps with happy.

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  7. Looking forward to seeing what your creative sojourn with MOV has made.
    I rally enjoy editing, probably more than writing. There's nothing more refreshing than looking through something you wrote a week or so ago and seeing the way it should be.
    But then (shhh) I like washing up...

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  8. I edit for a living medical reports which is a bit different than editing a book, but sometimes it helps to read the words out loud slowly; you can catch a lot of things that need to be edited that way. I'm not sure though that my supervisor would like me drinking a glass of red wine while I work, but I do like your method of editing indeed!

    enjoy the weekend!

    betty

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  9. I'm doing the editing thing with my book when I get the chance. Not fun.

    MBF

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  10. I need the opposite, something to speed up my ever expanding fat arse!
    Di :-)
    x

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  11. oh my gosh I read FAR too fast... and can read a book in a few hours and then have to read it again a couple of months later because I have forgotten loads of it... blurgh Love Elle xo

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  12. I find mistakes in every single blog post I do...no matter how many times I read it.

    Right after I hit the publish button, I find about a dozen mistakes. I read way too fast.

    I can't wait to read the book you two have put together!

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  13. Thanks all! You have once again helped me feel less alone in this process. I do believe that reading aloud is probably my best bet. It slows me down and I get a better grasp on the rhythm of a work. Appreciate all the support!

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  14. First a blog, now a book, I'm presuming a late night TV show is next....oh and then it's you and Donny Boy making a movie together no doubt. Keep me in mind if you need a driver or pool boy when you buy that mansion.

    MBF

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  15. All I can say is I am REALLY excited about reading that book. I hope you can slow down enough to do the editing. This made me giggle. I can't count the times I have fallen asleep reading something only to wake up with it in some inconvenient place. Good luck!

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