http://www.jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2006/02/editing-writing.html Management, especially good management, is hard to do. This blog is for people who want to think about how they manage people, projects, and risk. Fri, 18 May 2012 15:02:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://www.jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2006/02/editing-writing.html/comment-page-1#comment-288 Adam Jacobson Mon, 20 Feb 2006 21:24:10 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=8079#comment-288 Hemingway would be proud. Who needs adjectives and adverbs? Hemingway would be proud. Who needs adjectives and adverbs?

]]> http://www.jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2006/02/editing-writing.html/comment-page-1#comment-286 Johanna Rothman Sun, 19 Feb 2006 22:32:35 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=8079#comment-286 I have a tough time editing my own writing, unless I put aside for a while. Even then, I fall in love with my words :-) I have a tough time editing my own writing, unless I put aside for a while. Even then, I fall in love with my words :-)

]]> http://www.jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2006/02/editing-writing.html/comment-page-1#comment-287 Scott Sehlhorst Sun, 19 Feb 2006 09:45:40 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=8079#comment-287 Thank you so very much! I'm in the middle of an article (for someone else) right now. I'm going to 'trim the fat' before I submit the final version. Thanks for the great tip. I guess I should remember to do this for our blog too, where I am my own editor. My dad tells me that 'developers can't test their own code.' I wonder if that applies to writers and editing too. Thank you so very much! I’m in the middle of an article (for someone else) right now. I’m going to ‘trim the fat’ before I submit the final version.
Thanks for the great tip.
I guess I should remember to do this for our blog too, where I am my own editor.
My dad tells me that ‘developers can’t test their own code.’ I wonder if that applies to writers and editing too.

]]> http://www.jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2006/02/editing-writing.html/comment-page-1#comment-285 George Dinwiddie Fri, 17 Feb 2006 01:18:23 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=8079#comment-285 Yes, it's standard practice in the newspaper business, both for editors and reporters, to put the important stuff up front and consider the last stuff trimmable. Partly that's because people will read articles from the beginning, but stop at different points. I would guess that Johanna's editors are well-trained in this. It'll be hard to break that training. I think the key to success will be getting them to express their length requirements. - George P.S. Speaking of editing, a 200 [sic] word article sounds already short, to me. ;-) Yes, it’s standard practice in the newspaper business, both for editors and reporters, to put the important stuff up front and consider the last stuff trimmable. Partly that’s because people will read articles from the beginning, but stop at different points.
I would guess that Johanna’s editors are well-trained in this. It’ll be hard to break that training. I think the key to success will be getting them to express their length requirements.
– George
P.S. Speaking of editing, a 200 [sic] word article sounds already short, to me. ;-)

]]> http://www.jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2006/02/editing-writing.html/comment-page-1#comment-284 Daniel Read Thu, 16 Feb 2006 03:18:52 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/?p=8079#comment-284 Oh, but it's so much easier to just lop off the last two paragraphs! :-) I remember this practice well from my brief stint in the newspaper business. One learned very quickly to put your least interesting/valuable material at the end of the article because if a layout person (likely working after the editor has gone home for the day) needed the space, you'd lose as much as it took from the end of your article. Jerry is right about 1/3 rule. I've heard these extra words called "fat words." You can almost always tighten up any piece of writing by trimming some fat. Dan Oh, but it’s so much easier to just lop off the last two paragraphs! :-) I remember this practice well from my brief stint in the newspaper business. One learned very quickly to put your least interesting/valuable material at the end of the article because if a layout person (likely working after the editor has gone home for the day) needed the space, you’d lose as much as it took from the end of your article.
Jerry is right about 1/3 rule. I’ve heard these extra words called “fat words.” You can almost always tighten up any piece of writing by trimming some fat.
Dan

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