Bryony Preqeul, Secton One, etc.: No check. :(
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I debated titling this blog Confession of a Medical Phobic (I had an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics I was taking, so I get to try a NEW drug tonight, oh joy!), but decided to focus on another condition I've been battling: over-editing syndrome.
Over the past couple of years, the amount of editing I do has vastly increased. I not only self-edit my "regular" work, but I've spent hours upon hours pouring through Bryony, and that's on top of the occasional editing assignment I'll assume for another writer.
While all this editing is sharpening my skills, I now have an inner editor monitoring my social media posts and my rough drafts, but it doesn't stop there. I scour for mistakes in my children's textbooks, other books I am reading (I can now pick up any book and find errors), and even educational pamphlets.
The other night, while at a hospital emergency department, I noticed a stack of flyers listing policy and procedures. Since I had nothing else to do as I waited at the desk, I read the flyer. Soon, I was nudging my son and pointing.
"There's a common error here."
He rolled his eyes.
Then I noticed the "pardon our dust" construction sign on the window.
"I don't know," I said. "The sentence structure sounds clumsy."
You get the picture.
As I read through Bryony's proof copy for what I hope will be the last time, I have to squelch the urge to second-guess grammar and punctuation rules and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.
I hear this is common with other writers, but I never dreamed I'd fall victim to it. So if my mind is so persnickety, Why do I still keep making mistakes?
Word Count: 0
I debated titling this blog Confession of a Medical Phobic (I had an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics I was taking, so I get to try a NEW drug tonight, oh joy!), but decided to focus on another condition I've been battling: over-editing syndrome.
Over the past couple of years, the amount of editing I do has vastly increased. I not only self-edit my "regular" work, but I've spent hours upon hours pouring through Bryony, and that's on top of the occasional editing assignment I'll assume for another writer.
While all this editing is sharpening my skills, I now have an inner editor monitoring my social media posts and my rough drafts, but it doesn't stop there. I scour for mistakes in my children's textbooks, other books I am reading (I can now pick up any book and find errors), and even educational pamphlets.
The other night, while at a hospital emergency department, I noticed a stack of flyers listing policy and procedures. Since I had nothing else to do as I waited at the desk, I read the flyer. Soon, I was nudging my son and pointing.
"There's a common error here."
He rolled his eyes.
Then I noticed the "pardon our dust" construction sign on the window.
"I don't know," I said. "The sentence structure sounds clumsy."
You get the picture.
As I read through Bryony's proof copy for what I hope will be the last time, I have to squelch the urge to second-guess grammar and punctuation rules and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.
I hear this is common with other writers, but I never dreamed I'd fall victim to it. So if my mind is so persnickety, Why do I still keep making mistakes?
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