As some of you may know, I am currently involved in obtaining a certification in editing from UCSD. My decision was based on wanting to provide cleaner work not only of my own, but also for those I edit for on the side. I was not happy with being "good enough" for the indie market. I believe that I should be providing work that is just as clean as the stuff coming from the major publishers.
I was of the belief that I had a pretty good handle on things, and that this series of classes would really be nothing more than refresher training and confirmation of things that I already knew. I could not have been MORE WRONG!
While I still believe that I provide excellent editing, I also learned how much I DID NOT KNOW. That revelation came on the heels of the very first quiz that was really only designed to give you an idea of your strengths and weaknesses. My score was too embarrassing to share. Since then, I have been studying hard and learning every single day that I don't know nearly as much as I thought I did in the realm of English Grammar and Usage (which happens to be the title of the text that I am using for this class).
In the end, this will be a benefit to me as well as those who contract me to edit their work. And while I will still be very human and not catch every single mistake, I do think that the books that I edit will be better because of this certification program. A person should strive to improve every day; if they don't, then they will stagnate. Wish me luck.
Uh-oh. Once you've finished this course and get certified, you're going to realize that all of those who you THOUGHT were good writers...weren't!
ReplyDeleteYeah...but since I think you are a GREAT writer, yo will still at least be GOOD!
DeleteI have a reading addiction and have always been creative and inventive but I lack the mechanics. I never could get the rules 100%. English is the most annoyingly "exception" language that can rival calculus. In fact, in my last composition class my peer reviewers called me a "Comma kazie" because my writing was just littered with commas. I am thinking I might need to grab the text you are reading for your class and consult it regularly. I am aiming for a degree in Literature and should be done by summer of next year. Although getting a degree is admirable finding a job is going to be next to impossible. Keep up the good work and good luck in your classes!
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