Tuesday, February 28, 2017

I am an Editor!

So, I have come to a decision.

I think.

Yes. Yes, I have come to a decision.

I have decided that am an editor.

No. Wait. I have decided that I am an Editor! (That's better.)

I make this declaration with the highest and utmost confidence in its veracity. My Editorness is a fact.

I edit things for pay, therefore I am not just an editor, but an Editor. See the difference? The former is a regular noun and the latter is a proper noun - a title, which I have bestowed upon myself in the pursuit of pursuing it as a profession. It is my job, my living, the income-generating thing I do.

And with the decision to declare myself an Editor comes the supporting decision to make Raven's Next Chronicles the blogging gateway through which people may learn more about my editing challenges and triumphs, presumably and intendingly on a weekly basis. Though, I do reserve the right to increase or decrease the frequency at will and without apology. (Neither will I apologize for the made-up words that may and likely will appear unedited within any Raven's Next Chronicles post! See Editorness in paragraph six and intendingly in the current paragraph for examples of this creative license in action.)

Moving on...

The original purpose of Raven's Nest Chronicles was to have a place to share my stories and poems. You may have noticed that I haven't posted a story for about five years. Alas, this poor, neglected blog has rested post-less for nigh on 54 months (ish). It is not that I haven't written any stories or poems in that interval, merely that I haven't bothered to post any of them. I may - or may not - change that in the future. The un-posted stories could be great filler blog-fodder for those weeks that I have no challenges or triumphs to report. We shall see. Shan't we?

In the meantime, the stories that I did post so long ago will remain posted and, probably un-edited until I find the time to review and revamp them. So please be kind and refrain from pointing out any editing needs you may find among them. The stories are testament not to my editing skills, which are rather good by the way, but to my once more prolific story-writing and posting days.

That being said, I must admit to a niggling fear of posting blogs as an Editor. Editing my own work is one of those challenges that I spoke (wrote) of a moment ago. I have a confidence equal to my ability to edit other people's work that my own work will be strewn with the stuff Editors, like myself, make a living by discovering and correcting. But I will endeavor to keep them to a minimum. I am working diligently, for instance, on single spaces after full stops. Until recently, I was unaware that double spacing at the end of a sentence was incorrect (I thought it was an option). I credit my typing teachers, who drilled that habit into me way back in high school when it was mandatory practice when using a typewriter. (I wonder how many more things I could have added to limited spaces over the years had I not wasted all those precious key-strokes...)

Live and learn, they say! I am learning. I am also living and, on that note, this ends my first Raven's Next Chronicles blog post as an Editor. But before I go, I wish to share with you my business card, about which I intend to write more in my next blog post. I will explain all next week.





May your participles never be left dangling!






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