Website

One of the copy editing projects I worked on during my recent 3-day agency stint was for a website that went live yesterday. The website, Columbus Green Spot, is the latest component of Mayor Michael Coleman's "Get Green Columbus" initiative.

If you live or work in Columbus and are interested in "going green", check out the site. But please note: not all of my suggested edits were made, so don't come yelling to me if you spot a typo!

Pet peeves

In The Copyeditor's Handbook, author Amy Einsohn writes about how editors essentially need to get over their pet peeves and realize that just because a particular word or phrase bugs them doesn't mean it should be stricken from the page.

That's a hard pill to swallow, but I suppose she's right. So from now on, I will not immediately put pen to paper when I see the word "impact" used as a verb. I will pause before suggesting alternatives for overused buzzwords like "out-of-the-box" or "synergy". I will explore my need to question how something can be "more unique".

But I draw the line (literally and figuratively) at "irregardless".

A nice surprise

In the mail today, I received a copy of a mailer for which I wrote the copy.

It's a cute little mailer. 5x7 with a graphic of some kids running a lemonade stand, accompanied by a single-serve packet of lemonade mix. The copy is about recapturing the enthusiasm and energy you applied to your childhood lemonade stand and applying it to your current business efforts. Not growing stale. Stirring things up.

I don't usually see the end product of my efforts--I sometimes get a PDF copy via email or I hang on to the final draft for my portfolio--so it was nice to see the real deal!

Now the dilemma . . . do I keep it intact for my portfolio, or do I drink the lemonade?

A new personal low

Visiting a relative at her hotel this Saturday (she was in town for our family reunion), I noticed an events calendar taped to the inside of the door to her room. There were several typos on the calendar, and the urge to edit was overwhelming.

Grabbing a pen off the desk, I went to work. Punctuation was corrected. Extra spaces were closed up. It was quite satisfying.

Will my work be noticed by the next guest who inhabits Room 210? I doubt it. But acknowledged or not, I and my trusty pen dealt at least a glancing blow to poor grammar.

To Snuff, or not to Snuff

I'm reading Chuck Palahniuk's new book, Snuff. I keep reading his books because I loved Fight Club, but honestly I don't really like his writing style. It's a chore to read his work, regardless of how good the story may be.

Snuff is due back to the library tomorrow (due to a bunch of titles I reserved coming in at the same time, I'm experiencing a bit of backlog), and I am debating whether to keep it and just accrue the late fees (it's a new title, so I can't renew it), or return it.

I really hate starting a book and not finishing it. I have slogged through books that I cannot stand (Smilla's Sense of Snow and Between the Bridge and the River) just to avoid the feeling of failure I would get from not finishing them.

But I don't hate Snuff. It's no Fight Club, and as I said Palahniuk's writing style is difficult to follow, but I don't hate it. So I think that I'll continue reading it, late fees be damned.