Editing
Writing and editing are skills I've had to learn over the years. I find it hard to edit either my own paper or my classmate's papers because I never learned how to properly edit. I recently completed an Advanced Composition course and it has helped me immensely both in my writing and editing.
Last semester, I went from Advanced Composition, a hard writing class, to Broadcast, a class where you write for the ear. I often find myself writing big words and complicated sentences as if I was writing an essay. My weakness for writing "smart" has significantly reduced and I now write easy and simple sentences.
BEFORE
I made the mistake of assuming Wyoming residents needed a concealed carry permit prior to carrying a weapon. After talking with my school's Resource Officer, I had to change the majority of my piece.
AFTER
I decided to change my commentary into a written editorial because our show wouldn't air for another week and the Wyoming Legislature may decide on the bill prior to my piece's airing. So instead, I wrote about my stance on the bill and shared it to CHS Bonfire.
Personal Editing
Peer Editing
In my Advanced Composition class, I wrote an essay roughly every 1-2 weeks depending on the prompt. This deadline taught me to always have my essay done so I had enough time to edit. Editing a paper became easier over time. I apply my learned skills and help my staff with their leads and commentaries.
-
AP Style: ​​The first sentence was worded in a way that was hard to understand. I change it so the sentence was simpler for the audience.
This screenshot from Google Drive shows the writer's commentary in black and my edits in red and blue. Here, I fixed the following errors:
-
Misinformation: The fourth paragraph gives a fact about feminists. I advised the writer they needed a source for their information and make sure their facts were from a credible.
-
Presentation: At the very top of the paper I told the writers that going back and forth between the two of them could be confusing and difficult. I gave them an alternative option if the original presentation didn't work.
This screenshot from Google Drive shows the writer's commentary in black and my edits in red and blue. Here, I fixed the following errors:
-
AP Style: ​​Simple fixes like "men and women" and "poetry pieces" are phrases that sound better for the audience.
-
Misinformation: Further along in her piece, the writer mentions "91 percent of women like the way they look." I advised her to cross check her results with other sources and to make sure they are credible.
-
Presentation: The writer was unsure if she should do a commentary or editorial to present her story. I advised her to do a commentary because her story is more powerful when you can see her emotions when she tells her personal story.