How to Edit Your Own WritingEmma Carew Grovum / @emmacarew

Photo by Martijn Nijenhuis

What’s our objective?

Turn in clean copy

By *Nom & Malc

What makes clean copy?●Facts are accurate.

●“Why is this news?” is answered high.●Names, places are spelled correctly.●No major questions after reading.

Photo by Bob Jagendorf

Don’t dump your notesbit.ly/writeshortRPC

Photo by Kevin Zamani

So here’s what we know...●What facts make up the background or foundation?●Who are the characters? ●What’s the timeline of this story look like: past, present, future?●What’s new now? ●And what happens next?

● Read for logic and holes.

● Check and recheck every fact, figure and proper noun.

● Read for grammar and spelling.

● Read for style.

Be ruthless

bit.ly/editself

By Kit

Be ruthless

● Read for length and clarity.

● Cut, cut, cut until all that’s left is the true story.

bit.ly/editself

Photo by Phil Gradwell

ROUND 1: What the nut –Write headline + deck

If you can’t, it could mean that you don’t have a clearly defined nut graf.

Photo by brambleroots

ROUND 1: What the nut –Write 2-3 tweets

Think about what makes your story interesting and why someone should read it.

ROUND 1: What the nut –Write 2-3 tweets

Don’t think of it as “writing social media copy.” Just think of “writing a short statement of why someone should read your story.”

Let’s try it out #13 mins: Write a head or a tweet for this story:WASHINGTON – A critical amendment to a new round of health care reform passed a House subcommittee Thursday, drawing praise from both Democrats and Republicans.

The measure had ignited heated debate that lasted more than a month, with both sides sticking to their respective positions. However, a compromise was reached when the sticky matter of dental care was resolved.

In a joint press conference, Republican and Democratic lawmakers praised each other’s willingness to compromise. Adapted from Sue Burzynski Bullard’s Everybody’s an Editor: Navigating Journalism’s Changing Landscape

ROUND 2: Identify the facts

●Highlight or underline each fact. ●Go through your notes and ask: “How do we know this?”●Check off each fact as you confirm.

ROUND 3: Check quotes

●“Circle each quote.”●Check against your original material (audio recording, notes, transcription, primary documents). ●Put an X or a check.

ROUND 4: Do the math

●Highlight ALL facts and figures. ●Re-run the numbers. ●Check the math of your sources. ●Verify percentage change, rates,etc.

Photo by chinwei

ROUND 5: Read out loud●Find gaps or weird wording. ●Watch for changes in tense mid-sentence. ●Pay attention anywhere you’ve moved stuff around. P

hoto by darwin Bell

Spell check (but actually check)

Commonly misspelled words: unnecessary, embarrassed, separately, definitely, argument, irrelevant, responsibilities, achievement, reference, particularly, occasional, committed, colleagues, liaison...

Let’s try it out #2

10 mins: Edit the house-fire story using Section 1 of the accuracy checklist5 mins: What errors were the hardest to find?TOTAL: 15 mins

Use an accuracy checklistbit.ly/accuracychecklist

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/who_vs_whom

ROUND 6: Check language

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon

More The Oatmeal on grammar: http://theoatmeal.com/tag/grammar

ROUND 6: Check language

http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/11033.aspx

ROUND 6: Check language

ROUND 6: Check language -De-jargonify

●Did the suspect flee on foot to a vehicle? Or did he/she run to the car? ●Check acronyms, shorthand, other terms. Would someone unfamiliar with your beat know this word?

ROUND 7: Final checks -Print it out

Seeing your story on paper can help you visualize. You may catch new errors you weren’t seeing when you first filed.

Photo Kevin Cortopassi

ROUND 7: Final checks -Change the font

• If you can’t print, change it up digitally. Run white text on a black background, or change the

font from serif to sans-serif or vice versa.

• If you don’t have a second pair of eyes, view a second version.

Sentence by sentence.Find odd transitions, buried stuff.

ROUND 7: Final checks -Read it backwards

Photo by Mike Roberts

ROUND 7: Final checks -Style check!

●Whatever your house style is, find out! ●Learn it. Love it. Live it.

Let’s try it out #33 mins: Mock press statement10 mins: Write 2 paragraphs, edit self8 mins: Trade with a neighbor, edit neighbor4 mins: Debrief

TOTAL: 25 mins