The Writer & Editor Unveiled

Angela the writer, I am:

The biggest Procrastinator,

sometimes I literally don’t have time to start on a writing assignment; most times I do but the process of writing is so overwhelming and intimidating to me that I will find clothes to wash or dirty dishes to clean in order to avoid starting an assignment. I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to any work that I produce, and as I reflect about my procrastinating nature I think maybe I do it to justify work that I feel is less than par. And,

very Technical,

the creative gene pool was depleted by the time I came along so I got nothing, and I think my writing style reflects this; I tend to state the facts, present my arguments, cite sources to back my arguments and I load my writings with big words to portray myself as learned, intellectual, intelligent. Because I am so technical, I feel like I don’t express my real voice, and I think the exercises I completed for this class have given me some direction and tools for finding it.

Angela the editor, I am:

Heavy-handed,

I tend to take a piece of work (a peer’s, my boss’, or my own) and thoroughly review it to see if I can grasp the meaning or information being conveyed. Once I get an understanding of what the author is trying to say, I re-read the piece to determine how I can help make the meaning or information is clear, the overall work is fluid, and the syntactical errors are corrected. I change word choices, restructure sentences, rearrange paragraphs or delete all the above; I sometimes forget that the purpose of editing is to enhance a piece of work, not remove the author’s voice. Going forward I will definitely be more aware of maintaining the author’s voice in future editing projects, thanks in large part to the editing assignments I had to complete for WEPO! And,

Fair and efficient,

When I edit someone’s work I always try to get an understanding of what they are trying to convey. After I read their piece, I regurgitate my understanding of their text to see if it coincides with what they are trying to convey and ask questions about aspects of the work that I don’t understand. I am detail-oriented when I give myself time in writing assignments, so when I edit I am careful to read a text word for word and line by line. This allows me to be efficient in providing suggestions, and making necessary changes that will enhance the overall product. The one thing I will add to my editing tasks (thanks to WEPO) is to make sure the author’s work is tailored to the directed audience the text seeks to inform, or persuade.

And this has been the unveiling of me,

Angela Mathews, writer and editor!