Copyeditor humor

From the Editorial Anonymous blog:

An editor and a copyeditor are out walking when they come upon a set of tracks. The editor looks at them and identifies them as deer tracks.
The copyeditor says, "No, those are elk tracks."
"I disagree," says the editor. "The majority of viewers would certainly interpret these as deer tracks."
"But they do not follow the correct form of deer tracks," objects the copyeditor. "They must be elk."
They argue back and forth, on and on, and they're still arguing when the train hits them.

Incorrect headline in Orange County Register

Roger Clemens most certainly did not "refute" the steroids' report. He disputed the findings and he denied them. The definition of "refute" is to "prove to be false or erroneous." In no way did Clemens prove anything. This is a common mistake, but one you wouldn't expect a large newspaper like the OC Register to make.

Newsweek error

Here's something you wouldn't expect to see in a national news magazine: "It's in it's fifth printing." The error appeared in an article about the new "Kite Runner" movie.

I've been tagged!

Here are five random things about me:
1. I seem to get laryngitis easily. I'm on day three of having no voice whatsoever.
2. I lived in one town up until I went to college, but since then have lived in 10 different states (and multiple cities within those states.)
3. I often wish I had become a veterinarian. Too bad that math skills are a requirement.
4. I worked as a counselor in a French children's camp in the Alps and learned a whole lot of words that weren't in my textbook or dictionary.
5. I broke my right arm taking out the trash and falling on a slippery sidewalk, the same week we decided to move from Washington to California.

If you don't know how to play, here are the rules... List 5 random things about yourself on your blog. Then, tag 5 friends at the end of your post with a link to their blog. Don’t forget to let your blogger friends know they've been tagged. Then it's their turn. They will list 5 random things on their blog and tag 5 more people and so on and so on. Make sure to go back to their blog so you can read their 5 random things.

Here's who I'm tagging: Shari, Mona, Erin, Allison, and Danette

Orange County real estate listings

It's no secret that the housing market in Orange County is terrible, among the worst in the country. But what puzzles me is the blatant lack of professionalism on the part of some real estate agents.

Take a look at the following entry by a local agent:

Price: $429,900

Lake Forest, CA 92679

High Volted ceilings with lots of windows!Very light and bright!This is the biggest model with 2 car garage. This home is in excellent shape. It has beaitiful stone floors and wood floors. This is a Short Sale. Be the first to get the bank to accept your offer. .. .this is a steal!!! Lots of parking on this side of Boulder. Close to park, pool and school. Seller's paid $530,000 2 years ago and put upgrades in throughout! Nice wrap around yard with new fence, Lot's of nice Cabnets in Garage.

I first spotted this on an Orange County real estate blog. I understand that some people aren't strong when it comes to grammar and spelling. What I don't understand is why these people fail to recognize that weakness so they can seek help. When this agent became aware of the real estate blog, she updated the listing, but continued to spell it "lot's" and actually managed to misspell the name of the neighborhood (Portolla, instead of Portola.) Her listings for other homes she's selling are just as bad. In this rotten real estate market, why would any buyer or seller choose to use someone who's so sloppy?

What's sad is this agent is far from alone. Though she may be an extreme example, she's one of many agents who make grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors on internet listings and brochures. To me, that's a sign of carelessness that should send potential clients running in the opposite direction.

Just had to add this from the agent’s website. Whoops! I guess she forgot to build this page …

About Us About Us is the page where you write in more detail about your company and business. Focus on your strongest points, whether history, licenses, or awards. If you have a mission statement, place it here. This page should include information such as company history; certifications, licenses, insurance, and bonding; awards; the professional experience of the founders or key employees; and other important details not included on other pages. You may want to include a picture of yourself or your staff.

Company history Tell visitors about your company's history, including location, ownership, personal experiences, and other information that will help people remember you. Keep this information brief but informative.

Customer testimonials What do your customers have to say? Consider using some space to tell the story of the business through your customers' voices. Their word is more powerful than anything you can say for yourself.

Serenity Now

Now for a brief interlude in the midst of this hectic month.... the sun setting over the Pacific.

Christmas misspelling, writing update

I've seen a couple of different ways to spell Frasier tree, but this isn't one of them. There's an excuse, though. The tree was manufactured in China.

As for the decision to buy an artificial tree, it was tough. Part of me still thinks it's a travesty. But I also realized that wrestling with lights on a real tree that dies in mid-December, topples over unexpectedly, spills water when it does so, and embeds pine needles throughout my house was killing my joy in the season. So, although I miss the wonderful smell of a real tree, I've made peace with my fake one. I've attempted to take a picture, but it didn't turn out well at all.

I've done little writing lately, due to little time because of demands of the season. I've been working on revising my Highlights fiction contest stories since I need to submit them next month. And I'm pleased that I have two picture books being held by Blooming Tree Press following their recent submission call.

My major challenge for the week was preparing a novelty book for submission. I'd heard the editor speak at a conference in October and knew I had something that would fit well with what they're looking for. However, she was very clear that it was insufficient to send a manuscript alone, even if it came with instructions for the novelty idea. She said writers needed to design a dummy spread. So, I did, thanks to some help from clip art. (I first attempted to draw a bunny myself, with absolutely no success.) I created a bunny, complete with a touch-and-feel cottontail, that "hopped" in a sliding motion on the page. For someone with next to no artistic talent, this was a huge stretch. No matter what the editor's eventual response, I felt a sense of accomplishment in sending it off.

My story in Stories for Children magazine

Here's a link to the site: www.storiesforchildren.tripod.com
This is a fairly new e-zine that can also be printed out. It has some wonderful stories in this issue, including a very fun Snowman mystery story by my critique partner Rachel Hambly.

Big Bear Lake

To complement the gorgeous East Coast pictures, here's one from the West Coast, of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains. We spent Thanksgiving week in the area, and it was truly breathtaking.

Also taking my breath away, shopping Pavilions (Vons) in Mission Viejo today and seeing one of the overhead directory signs that read "Jucies."

Seen on the side of a truck today

It was a huge ad that read "Store closing. Your gain is our lost!"

NBC is the biggest loser

Last night I was putting together certificates/ribbons for the PTA arts contest I co-chair, and was half-watching a TV show I'd never seen before -- "The Biggest Loser." Going into a break, they had a bumper graphic with trivia, and the word "vaccuming" was spelled in large letters. It appeared later in the show as well. It's a good thing I didn't have anything to throw at the TV. How does that graphic survive intact after being viewed by countless producers, editors, and directors who work on a show like this?
I'm going to start a new feature of this blog documenting the horrifying misspellings I come across so often.
Meantime, my husband spent part of his day writing to the Los Angeles Times. The first had to do with the word "juggernaut" that was spelled "juggernat" in a headline. I quote now directly from his second letter (Isn't there something seriously wrong when a newspaper like the LA Times can make this kind of mistake? In addition to the reporter's error, where on earth was the copyeditor? Scary!)

The reason that "the principles are not doing much
talking" is that principles can't talk. Why the
principals mentioned in your story aren't talking is
another matter.

Copy editor or copyeditor?

If you're a natural born one of the above, you may have noticed I wrote "copy editor" as two words in the previous post. However, in my profile I spell it "copyeditor. " Which is it, and why wasn't I consistent? The answer is that it can be spelled either way, as can "copy editing" and "copyediting." I prefer it as one word and use it that way in this blog and on my website. But since I was quoting directly from Cheryl Klein and she had used it as two words, I thought it appropriate to keep it that way.

My favorite book on the subject is Copyediting: A Practical Guide by Karen Judd.

Copy editor humor

From Cheryl Klein's website ...

Q: How many copy editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: I can't tell whether you mean "change a light bulb" or "have sex in a light bulb." Can we reword it to remove the ambiguity?

My favorite picture from the workshop

More pictures

I had to add these. So beautiful.

Highlights Foundation workshop

I've been meaning to post some spectacular photos taken by one of the workshop participants, Amie Jane Leavitt. She took hundreds, literally, and they were all so beautiful that it was hard to choose. The fall colors were nearly at their peak. Although it rained more in a weekend than it has in a year in Southern California, it was the perfect place for a hike in the woods when it did dry out.
I truly understand the concept of a writer's retreat now. No internet/emails or cell phones to distract; just peaceful, beautiful surroundings to inspire.

Since I've been back home, I've found my writing has improved more than I could have imagined. I cut out nearly 500 words from the original version of a magazine story that I was asked to submit to Highlights after it was critiqued by an editor there. I had thought it was fairly tightly written to begin with, and was surprised I could reach the target word count without decimating the story. I'm also happy with the new magazine story I wrote while I was there, and am thrilled I was able to revise a tired old picture book manuscript. I'm still working on my story for the Highlights fiction contest; something set in the future is a definite challenge, but I've begun a draft of a story for it.

I'm a winner!

I've won a free picture book critique from an active group of writers whose website is called www.thewritemarbles.com. Thanks to my critique partner, Rachel, for letting me know about it! The free critique was inspiration enough for me to dust off an old, troubled manuscript called "The Ribbon Dance." It's been fun revising it. I've cut it by 400 words, eliminated two unnecessary characters, and generally focused it much better, so it feels more like a viable picture book now. I'll be ready to email it to the "Marbles" later today. How fun to get perspectives from a brand new set of writers!

What a week!

The fire situation remained unstable last Tuesday, with the Santiago Canyon fire worsening and creeping closer to us. Meantime, my writing partner and her family (and adorable dog) came to stay with us because they had been evacuated from Poway.
All this seemed to make it the worst time possible to leave for the Poconos for a Highlights Foundation workshop on writing children's magazine fiction. Particularly troubling was this location's lack of either cell phone or internet access. My husband convinced me that everything would be fine; I packed an emergency bag in case they had to evacuate, and headed out early Wednesday. Ash fell on the car windshield at the airport, and the air quality was absolutely horrible. Fortunately, soon after I left I received word that my friend could return to her home, and that it had not burned.
I finally arrived at the charming Highlights cottage in the Poconos at 1 a.m., totally exhausted and stressed because my camera had been stolen at the airport. (Thus no pictures until I replace it.) The setting couldn't be more postcard-perfect, with the leaves at their peak, wild turkeys roaming nearby, and a lovely creek that we'd call a river in California.
I'll write more about the wonderful workshop later: the supportive group of fellow writers, the encouraging leaders, the food cooked by a Culinary Institute-trained chef. (Portobello mushrooms plucked fresh from her yard, and fresh pumpkin creme brulee were among favorites... ) But I soon realized that it was the right decision for me to come; my family was surviving fine without me and it was a terrific opportunity for growth for me. The retreat was the perfect place for me to write and I finished a brand new story that I like a lot.
Although I had created a minute-by-minute schedule for my husband of my daughter's various activities, it all had to be thrown out. Our school district wound up canceling all classes for Thursday and Friday, forcing my poor husband to take a couple of unscheduled vacation days since I was gone. I do think they enjoyed time together, though, and our daughter was very ready to get back to school this morning. And I'm ready to tackle a number of new writing projects for magazines as well as revise a couple of existing stories. I will miss the concentrated writing time, with no interruptions, experienced at the workshop!

Winds picking up

I spoke too soon about the winds. They've definitely picked up this morning. However, they're still not as bad as yesterday, and the air remains wonderfully clear.

A new day

The sun is just beginning to rise here, but something is missing---the Santa Ana winds. They were supposed to blow as strong as the night before, but at least here in Southern Orange County, they were completely calm. Overnight, I kept getting up to peek outside; it was so still it was almost eerie. The air also seems much clearer. It looks like any normal morning with the coastal fog over the ocean.

But of course the situation remains grim, and terribly sad. A friend whose husband is a firefighter with Los Angeles County says these are the worst fires California has ever experienced. The pictures from Lake Arrowhead are especially devastating. For us here, the Santiago fire in Irvine and Lake Forest is the closest, perhaps 10 miles away.

Fire update

The smoke seems to be growing thicker as the day goes on. I've heard there's a small fire burning about a mile from here, but don't believe it's a threat at this point. My critique partner, who lives in Northern San Diego County, has been evacuated, along with a quarter million others. It's hard to see the situation throughout Southern California getting better anytime soon with the winds continuing so strong.

Southern California fires

I digress from discussing writing and editing because of the terrible fires here in Southern California. Overnight, I felt like I was back in Virginia in the middle of a hurricane, minus the rain. These are the strongest Santa Ana winds I've ever experienced. The smoke is thick; schoolkids have indoor recess because the air quality is so bad.

Yesterday we went to church shortly after watching the news about Malibu Presbyterian burning to the ground. Village Presbyterian meets in a school because it's a new church and land is so terribly expensive here. But I think we all felt grateful that we even had a place to meet. It helped remind us that what really matters is a community of faith, not a building.

Where I am most of the time

Here I am, working at my computer. I spend a huge amount of time here: writing, editing, transcribing, answering email (and lately, creating a website and blog!) My best time to work is early in the morning while my family is still asleep. I love the quiet, the gradual change from dark to light, and the birds chirping to signal the new day.

My first entry

I'm starting this blog at an exciting time in my professional life. My writing is taking off, I've developed a new website for my copyediting business, and I'm off to a Highlights Foundation workshop for children's magazine writers next week in Pennsylvania.
Last week I was at a one-day conference of the Orange County chapter of SCBWI. The most inspirational speaker was a woman who had been writing for years, and at age 73, had just had her first children's book published, a middle-grade historical. Sometimes I'm in a hurry for everything to happen at once, and her comments were excellent motivation for me.