Dinner with Friends

Sunday, April 9…

Gotta love Ben & Jerry's!

On the road to Savannah (almost – Ft. McAllister State Park is just over the border in GA). We arrived early afternoon and then headed north to Beaufort, SC, to have dinner with my college roomie and her husband (whose first book, Why Cows Learn Dutch, I honed my editing skills on). Lovely evening of catching up and learning that Randy not only plays the guitar and sings, but also writes his own songs. Didn’t get back to camp until 11 or so – long day, but a good one.

Port of Savannah (from bridge, lousy pic)

Savannah River Bridge

Crossing the bridge

Great Pic! (stolen from Internet)

BlogThoughts… Having the opportunity to read a draft of Randy's book convinced me that I not only could edit but that I also actually enjoyed it. (I'd been editing commercial real estate reports for a couple years w/ very positive feedback, but a book - even a nonfiction one - is quite different.) I do what's called a comprehensive edit, which means grammar & spelling are just the beginning. I'm also responding to word choice, tone, consistency, and - if it's fiction - character & plot development. And, unlike most editors, when the changes are a matter of opinion rather than clear-cut rule, I explain them. A number of writers have told me how much they appreciate that - that these explanations help them become better writers. 
That's a real bonus.