Editing on Google Drive |
When editing on Google Drive through comments, communication can be tricky. As an editor I've strived to provide constructive criticism by acknowledging mistakes, why they are mistakes and what they can do to improve. Opening up your writing can be very vulnerable because it's easy to get attached to your work. I've always kept this in mind and made sure to let writers know what they should be proud of.
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The Power of One-On-One Editing
I've always found one-on-one editing sessions to be the most effective as a writer. Commenting on stories is convenient, but it doesn't always allow for writers and editors to be on the same page. One-on-one editing sessions allows for me as editor to understand the intentions of the writers decisions, and it also allows for the writer to understand the changes I make as editor.
Sydney Shrewsbury“When I first joined the yearbook staff as a writer last year, I found myself overwhelmed with my workload and undermined my capabilities. Throughout the past year, I have realized just how much my writing has improved and I owe a lot of that growth to Somer. As my mentor, she helped guide me through the process of writing my first few stories, taught me skills about yearbook writing and interviewing, and helped me with my confidence. When I wrote my first story I remember getting frustrated with myself because I just didn’t know how to start off my story. It was then that Somer and I sat down together and she taught me how to write a proper lede, all the while being very patient with me. She never once doubted my capabilities as a writer and continues to give me guidance as well as pride in my writing.”
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Gloria Zink“Co-writing with Somer was one of the most influential learning experiences I have had in all of my time as a writer. In the winter of 2020, Somer and I had the opportunity to write a story about one of our peers experiencing the realities of being a non-binary person. During the interview process, we had conducted multiple interviews and gathered over three hours of dialogue. Having never conducted so many interviews for just one story, this was an eye opening experience. During that process Somer focused on teaching me how to formulate the best possible follow-up questions on the spot in order to increase the depth of the conversation. After completing multiple drafts and multiple rounds of revisions, I got to peek into what being a copy editor was really like.”
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Mori Rothorn"The first story I ever wrote for the yearbook was with Somer as my mentor. I was terrified that I wouldn't fit the imaginary expectations I had set for myself. But Somer was there for me, and guided me through co-writing our first story together. Co-writing with her taught me more about how to write Journalistically than weeks of learning about the technicalities of writing in class. Her approach to one-on-one editing felt so much more personal, and I was able to learn so much in just a few sessions of writing with her. As a mentor, she was always incredibly kind and patient, something that I think was made possible by her one-on-one editing style. Being a first year writer during COVID made it hard to feel a part of a pre-established staff culture, and to feel confident in my abilities. Yet Somer’s guidance made the experience one not only of immense growth, but also a welcoming and fun one, that made me feel at ease my first year."
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Deadline RecapsDeadline recaps have been a must for us this year. They have allowed us to improve every deadline and keep us ahead on schedule. The weekend after every deadline, my Co-Editors-in-Chiefs and I Zoom to make our presentations showing off the staff's accomplishments and providing reminders to help set up for future successful deadlines. We also like to add in Tik Tok references and memes to provide a sense of staff culture virtually.
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