Even Perfectionists Can Do “First-Draft” Work

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I’m a perfectionist. This is a real plus when I’m editing, but not when I'm writing. Why? Because, as a perfectionist, I don’t want to write anything subpar. Whatever I write must be perfect – the first time. Of course, that’s unrealistic. Every writer knows that. It can also lead to self-editing while writing, which stifles creativity. That's why we’re often encouraged to beat writer’s block by slapping down any old thing that comes to mind and whipping it into shape later. But Read more [...]

How “Agile Editing” Can Help You Write a Book

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If you aspire to write a book, something I call “agile editing” can help you succeed. And no, it doesn’t involve doing cartwheels while wielding a red pen. It’s a process I devised with consultant and author Marc Strohlein when editing his book, The Energized Enterprise: How to Tap Your Organization’s Hidden Potential, available in print and e-book versions. (Here’s my blog post about the book. And another insightful review.) Agile editing is a partnership between writer Read more [...]

This Book Is the Perfect Gift for Your Boss

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Do you ever think your workplace is like a sluggish rental car – no oomph, despite a lot of potential? Do you wish you had a manual on how to make it perform better? Wish granted: The Energized Enterprise: How to Tap Your Organization’s Hidden Potential has just hit the virtual bookstore shelves. Author Marc G. Strohlein has a wealth of experience working in and consulting with organizations of all sizes, and he's happy to share it. Full disclosure: I was the developmental editor, copyeditor, Read more [...]

One Surprising Skill All Editors Need

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Good editors need certain qualities. Excellent grammar. Attention to detail. A dirty mind. Yes, a dirty mind. Think about it. An editor’s job is to correct mistakes and remove any distractions that might divert the reader’s attention or embarrass the writer. That includes accidental double entendres. Now, I’m a pretty straight-laced gal. But I can spot a double-entendre a mile away, with my eyes closed. So I had to laugh when I received an e-mail with this subject line from the alumni Read more [...]

Engagement vs. Motivation: It’s Not Always about Money

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I’m editing a fascinating book by business consultant Marc Strohlein, about how to tap hidden potential in a company or organization to improve its performance. The book is coming out soon (I’ll keep you posted), and it’s very much on my mind. So is baseball - it's October, after all, and I'm a big fan. So imagine my delight when I realized that events at the end of this year’s baseball season perfectly illustrate one of the points in Marc's book. On October 3, the last day of Read more [...]

My Big Fat Transatlantic Move (and What It Has to Do with Editing)

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Some years ago, my husband and I and our two young children moved from Europe, where we had been working, back to California. Moving an entire household across an ocean and a continent is a huge job. And it requires “editing” your life: You sell your electric appliances because they won’t work in the new place. You get rid of junk that’s been sitting around for years because you don’t want to pay to move it halfway around the world. You send only the bare minimum of your remaining Read more [...]

Five Ways to Invigorate Your Writing – Gangnam Style

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For a writer, nothing is worse than feeling that readers don’t get your point. (Except, maybe, the thought that nobody is even reading your work.) With so many distractions in today’s world, I’m always looking for new ways to grab an audience’s attention with the written word. And I think I’ve found one. Writing "Gangnam Style." If you’re not familiar with the Gangnam phenomenon, watch the music video by the Korean performer who calls himself “Psy.” (Short for Psycho, he says.) Read more [...]