WRA 370 Editing and Style
in Professional Writing |
|
WRA 370 Editing and Style
in Professional Writing |
| One part
of this course will be devoted to understanding more about theories and
processes of editing in professional writing settings. We'll spend
some time discussing the profession of editing: what it is that professional
editors do, what it takes to become an effective editor, what the editorial
process looks like (from acquisitions editing to indexing), and the effects
of technology. We'll explore some of the sectors in which editors
might find themselves working. We'll also learn about (and do some
practicing of) substantive editing, stylistic editing, copy editing, and
proofreading.
Another chunk of our time will be devoted to a more in-depth exploration of style in writing. Our goal will be to become sensitized -- as writers and as readers -- to the varieties of prose styles, the various features of texts which embody and convey style, and the effects -- both intellectual and emotional -- of various stylistic choices. We will, in other words, play with language in order to explore style. I've designed this course to appeal to what sometimes seems like two contradictory impulses in writers. One is the pleasure of knowing the rules and guidelines for producing clean, polished texts. The other is the pleasure of playing with language, pushing the boundaries so that the possibilities of language at multiple levels are revealed and embraced. As a writer and editor, you will need to be able to appreciate, accommodate, and produce both. Class time will be divided between group discussion, workshop of student work, in-class exercises and take-home assignments. Students must be willing to share work with peers, in class workshops, especially work-in-progress. Students also need to be willing to engage in seminar-style learning, which requires each member of the seminar to be prepared, present, and actively participating in each class session. |
Required Texts: Amy Einsohn, The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications |
laura julier | last updated 7 January 06