My new favorite place to edit: In the dining room. On the table. After work. With a glass of wine. While the Roomba whooshes at my feet.
I worked on the book last night after I got off work, and the noise of the little vacuum (which had filled up with animal hair during the day and hadn’t finished its cycle) was great white noise. I thought I’d be too tired to do any real work, but maybe the tiredness lowered inhibitions — it went well. I monitored the glass of wine (monitored it REAL well, oh, yeah) because I’ve never been a drink-and-write kinda gal, and I don’t want to be one. It was nice yesterday, though.
Editing. It doesn’t suck. Not near as much as I thought it would.
Also regarding editing, memo to Caltrans:
YOUR ELECTRONIC SIGN IS KILLING ME. You know, the one at the 580/238 split.
"Please drive careful" is not okay. Ever.
The other signs in the area say "Please drive safely." "Please drive slowly." "Please use caution." These are all acceptable. But if you can’t fit the word carefully on a sign, USE SOMETHING ELSE.
I swerve a little every time I see it.
re: Caltrans sign… yeah, but they got your attention, didn’t they? Just kidding.
Write on!
I have submitted a note to CalTrans about this. This is a pet peeve for me. Children learn by example–let’s set GOOD examples, people!
Oh, and good for you for getting on the editing.
Plus, you’ve given me the incentive to write to our school superintendent, who sent out a notice about the budget cuts with two typos and a grammatical error!!!
Okay, remember Apple’s “Think Different” (cringe) campaign? I was a teacher then, they gave my school some really really cool black & white posters with Jim Henson, Einstein, et.al touting their slogan…I had them all over my classroom…and I altered ALL. OF. THEM. When we hit adverbs? Oh yeah, they got it :).
Ah, the dining room table. It’s the ONLY place for revisions. You need space to spread out the pages, see your notes, move things around. Space for the computer too, and the coffee and the emergency sock knitting for the bad bits. And then there’s the sheer pleasure of turning your family’s common space into your private war room.
AMEN.
There’s a pop-up construction sign on my route to the store which says:
DRIVE CAREFUL
LY
I grind my teeth a little every time I pass it.
From your lips to Caltrans’ ears. I am still suffering from the Apple “Think Different” campaign too. And real good will NEVER be acceptable.
Yay for new work space!
I still get hung up on the “Ten Items or Less” signs at supermarkets.
I will not write about the apostrophes…. I will not write about the apostrophes… I will not write about the apostrophes… I will not write about the apostrophes… I will not write about the apostrophes…
Dang, those signs are distracting. Especially oddly written Spanish billboards – I pick at it all day until I figure out what they meant in English, which usually doesn’t work either. I’m happily unable to think of a single example just now.
Happy editing!
To preface this, I live in KY. I fully understand the stereotypes that some people have of the state, and I’m happy to say that most are just not true. However, I do die a little death every time I cross the state line coming IN to KY, because, on our welcome sign it says, and I quote “Welcome to KY, where education pays. Drive safe!” Go figure, huh?