This Copy Editor Wants to Know...Are You Ready for Some Football Errors?!

Each night, long after the last load of laundry is tucked away, the last load of dishes is started in preparation of the bustling morning to follow, and long after the last kiddo is tucked quietly into his bed and has FINALLY fallen asleep - when the house has fallen into a quiet slumber of its own – my husband and I finally have a few minutes of "adult time." It’s the only time of the day when we don’t hear "Mommy" or "Daddy" every five minutes, the only time of the day when we don’t have to cater to the little people living in our house – the ONLY time of day when we can have a conversation without being interrupted!! Adult time doesn’t last long because the busy day takes its toll on our old bodies, not to mention the fact that, in the back of our minds, we know it will all begin again in just a few hours. Sigh. 

Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE our children – our entire worlds revolve around these little people who struggle day in and day out with life’s rules and learning to be the people they were meant to be. But adult time is the time when we reconnect with who WE are. I have always equated bedtime to sliding into home plate with a heavyset umpire behind me yelling, "SAFE!" Whew. 

So last night we were having our adult time. This is usually spent eating things we shouldn’t eat, watching movies the kids can’t watch, and playing video games we can’t play while competing against four other people for television time. Last night my husband was playing NCAA Football 2011 on his Xbox 360 and I was playing World Mosaics (my newest addiction) on my laptop when my husband called my attention to the picture below. 

Figure 1: Picture of the entire screen so you can identify the video game (I apologize for the blurriness and bad reflection)

Figure 2: The error: Missing "to" between "going" and "get." SHOULD read: "Undefeated Texas knows that they're going TO get every team's best shot."

Now, we all know that video games are not good in excess. We all know that video games are not meant to educate. But one would think that EA Sports, especially with a game this popular, would have an entire team of copy editors to ensure the accuracy of their content! Amazing! You know they spent enough money in the creation of this game to house twenty families – nicely – so it really surprises me that they would skimp on proofreading or copy editing. I realize people do not play these games for their educational content, but it speaks volumes about their professionalism and their desire to produce a clean, professional product.

It doesn’t matter what medium you are working in – books, video games, dissertations, business proposals, education – if your writing isn’t copy edited or proofread to perfection, people will notice! And NOBODY, not even the most intelligent person in the most successful business in the world, is so intelligent that he or she is above making mistakes. Always, always, always have a proofreader or copy editor edit your documents. I know a good one! 

Until next time, cross your Is, dot your Ts, and watch your Ps and Qs.

Laura

A Copy Editor’s Nightmare in Reality…

Sadly, yesterday I attended my (I guess…I have never really been very good with familial ties) great-great-aunt’s funeral. She was (still is I suppose) my great grandfather’s brother’s wife. Dear Bertie May was a stubborn, outspoken, strong, beautiful woman. She came from a generation that is quickly fading away. A generation that spent time with their loved ones - talking, quilting, gossiping even, writing - instead of spending every moment glued to a computer or television or video game system or cell phone. They helped neighbors in need - and neighbors helped them when they were in need. A man’s word still meant something.

I sat in the humble little church in Collinsville, Texas yesterday, attempting poorly to hold back the tears as I reminisced the years I have spent with Bertie May while the preacher sang her praises. I thought about my great-grandfather Chesley saying, “Well, hello Laurie!” in his Mr. Ed-like voice I always loved so much. Of all the memories I have of my grandpa, this one, simple phrase is what I remember most. It was common and simple and predictable…stable. He was an old cowboy. Kind. All of his old stories started with “Well, back in nineteen-ot…” As a young man, Chesley had a horse named Outlaw that he used to ride through the desert. He never left home without his cowboy hat and boots on – he even had dress boots for church. However, as he got older, settled down, married Bess, and had children, obviously some things were no longer…reasonable. 

Years after he was lassoed in by Bess, they both just happened to be visiting us the day my horse April was born. In fact, Grandpa had the honor of naming her. He was very excited to have the opportunity to play cowboy again for the day! Bess’s family was also visiting us from California, and they videotaped the entire birth. Hours into my horse’s labor, April was finally born. However, within thirty minutes, my grandfather had become worried because she hadn’t eaten yet. So he gathered some hay for the newborn baby and tried to feed it to her. Just in case some of you don’t know - newborns only drink their mother’s milk. =)

Years later when the cancer took my grandfather from us, I popped in the video for some self-inflicted torture. And it was there. I had been allowed to leave school to watch the horse being born (only happens in the country). My grandparents were already at the house. I ran across the pasture towards the corral as fast as my legs would carry me. The mare lie there in the grass with quite a crowd surrounding her. And then it happened. My grandfather turned to greet me and - forever captured on videotape - he said, “Well, hello Laurie.” It was as if he had wrapped his arms around me again - and anytime I wanted him to for the rest of time. He was comforting me even after he was gone.

My thoughts drifted to my great-grandmother, Bess; she just passed away five years ago. She was a real inspiration to me growing up…but I never told her. People tend to take those things for granted sometimes…things go left unsaid. She was an English teacher – and her students LOVED her! Five-year-old-granddaughter I, on the other hand, thought she was a real nag; that is, until I was old enough to understand and respect the life lessons she was teaching me. From as early as age five, I remember her teaching me the difference between “can” and “may” and yelling at me to “Hold your pencil the right way!” She is one of the biggest inspirations in my decision to become an English teacher. She was amazing. 

Then I thought back to our family’s “Graveyard Working” day in 2009 – the last time I saw Bertie May alive. Our family (about 200 of us) gathers on Mother's day every year at our family cemetery to clean it up. Everyone brings a food dish (or three), and after we clean up the cemetery, we have a HUGE picnic. The kids play and the grown-ups eat, catch up, and reminisce. My husband offered to take a picture of Bertie May and me together after I had made sort of a big deal about getting a picture of her and some of the other ladies I have grown up with…the ladies who were now getting older…the ladies who stood with my great-grandmother in the kitchen at reunions and yelled at the kids and sent husbands on last minute honey-dos while they, together, prepared one of the finest meals you will ever set your eyes on – and enough food to STUFF two hundred people!! I introduced Bertie May to my husband, and she gave him a big hug like she had known him since he was a child. We sat in the shade of the old church on some lawn chairs, and we talked as I showed her my wedding pictures. As we said our good-byes, my husband took the picture of the two of us together, Bertie May’s arm around me. At the time, I just wanted a picture of Bertie May. Alone would have been fine. But now that she is gone, I see the value in togetherness. I am thankful for the picture of her holding me…comforting me even now.

In the first ten minutes of the funeral, as my memories drifted in and out from family member to family member, those still with us and those passed, the slide of Bertie May on the back wall of the church began to swirl around in circles. As the swirling stopped, it was replaced by an ad – yes, an ad – for “Memories in Motion” with the phone number below the business name. You know, just in case anyone in THIS funeral might know someone ELSE that died or will die this week and is absorbed in thought right now NOT about Bertie May, but about how to vividly display their OTHER loved one’s funeral in a PowerPoint display! But I understand, the economy is bad right now and everyone needs any help they can get. I am not one to hold a grudge…usually. However, once the distasteful ad swirls itself away much like something else I can think of that swirls away in that manner – I wonder if it too would swirl in an opposite direction in Australia – my beloved Bertie May’s name pops up on the screen – MISSPELLED!!! Seriously?? Yes, seriously.

Dear sirs at Memories in Motion,

Maybe if you had spent a little more time carefully editing my loved one’s name instead of preparing your ad, I would not have had MY memory in motion come to a screeching halt when I thought about how disrespectful it is that you spelled Bertie May’s name “Berite May ‘Nanny’ Roberts” at her last family reunion! Maybe YOU need a copy editor or proofreader! You know where to find me.

R.I.P. Bertie May Nanny Roberts. We love you always and we miss you. 

Until next time, make sure you ALWAYS have someone edit your writing – no matter how small or simple it may be! You never know when it might make a world of difference to someone else.

Have a great rest of the week,

Laura

Celebrate Banned Book Week by Taking a Stand!

Today begins Banned Book Week! Banned Book Week is a chance for everyone to express their desire for intellectual freedom. It is amazing to me that someone would try to take away our right to read what we want just because the book contradicts what "someone" believes to be right – because the book discusses sex, or masturbation, or violence, or racism. We read to identify with someone. We read to know we aren’t alone. We read to escape ourselves. We read for excitement, for knowledge, for fun. By banning books that discuss the ugly truths of life, we take away these privileges. Life is not always pretty, and banning books is not going to "fix" life.

Please understand that I ABSOLUTELY believe that parents should always monitor what their children read. As a parent myself, I always make myself available to discuss books my children are reading and concepts they may not understand. And of course, I always make sure my kids are at a maturity level appropriate for the materials they are reading – that is called being a responsible parent. The idea that someone I don’t even know would try to tell me what my kids or I should read infuriates me. Our children are growing up in a different world from what we did. They face situations nowadays that we didn’t encounter (at least as much) when we were children. Should racy books be teaching our children? Of course not! That is our job! But the right to read a book is an incredible freedom to identify, to know we aren’t alone, to escape, to become excited, to learn. 

Would you not teach your kids to invest their money because there is a chance they may lose it? Would you not allow your kids to watch the news because there is a chance they may hear about violence or murder or sex or homosexuality? Kids aren’t stupid; in fact, they grow up much, much faster than any of us want them to. Are we supposed to send them out into the world blind to the realities that will quickly unfold before them? Do we send them out into the world believing the feelings they have are "strange" or that they are weird? No. To be confident, successful adults, children need to believe they are just like everyone else. They need to be able to relate to others.

What message are we sending to our children? If you don’t like something or if something is different, we throw it away or make it disappear. America preaches tolerance on one hand while they are demonstrating intolerance with the other.

During Banned Book Week, the librarian at the university I attended would post a list of books that were banned or had been targets of attempted bannings in the library. Next to the list, she would post a HUGE paper for people to sign after they had read one of the books. Our goal as a university: read as many of these "dangerous" books as possible in one week.

So, what books have been banned? What books are they TRYING to take away from us? Here is a list of some of them…I think you will be surprised. 

The American Library Association’s top ten most challenged books in 2009 are as follows:

Book Title	Author	Reasons for Attempted Banning
ttyl, ttfn, l8r, g8r (whole series)	Lauren Myracle	Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs
And Tango Makes Three	Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson	Homosexuality
The Perks of Being a Wallflower	Stephen Chbosky	Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Anti-Family, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide
To Kill a Mockingbird	Harper Lee	Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs
Twilight	Stephanie Meyer	Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
Catcher in the Rye	J.D. Salinger	Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
My Sister’s Keeper	Jodi Picoult	Sexism, Homosexuality, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group, Drugs, Suicide, Violence
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things	Carolyn Mackler	Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
The Color Purple	Alice Walker	Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group
The Chocolate War	Robert Cormier	Nudity, Sexually Explicit, Offensive Language, Unsuited to Age Group

There is a new list this year for the top 100 most challenged/banned titles of the decade (2000-2009). You can find them here: http://tinyurl.com/top100fcb. Again, I think you will be surprised by some of the titles: Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain), Captain Underpants (Dav Pilkey - seriously??), to name just a few.

So here is my challenge to all of you: READ, read, read - as many of these books as you can. Take a stand against this blatant attempt for the few to rule the many. Let me hear from you, what are your thoughts about the banning of these books – some of them classics! We grew up with these books. Why would anyone take them away from our children? Parents: be responsible for your own children. YOU take the responsibility to ensure your kids aren’t reading something they aren’t ready for or don’t understand. Who else knows them better?! But don’t tell me how to be a parent or how to raise my kids – or what book I can read! Does making the books go away make the "bad things" go away?

I could go on about this forever, but I will climb down off my soap box now and leave the discussion to you. =)

Until next time, make reading and writing your key to the future!

Your copy editor,

Laura

Editor Calling...EVERYONE!

I grew up believing (still do) that my grandmother was both the greatest and the strangest person I had ever met. She used to send me Halloween cards in July and Christmas cards in August just to make me laugh. She was a divorcee who had been dating a truck driver for 20+ years. I thought there was not too much cooler in life than seeing my Nana climb out of an 18-wheeler! And she used some words that were...unique. Does your grandmother get "tickled to the peewadden" like mine? Then read on! 

Tell everyone you know! I am compiling these strange words and phrases into a small book. The origin of words is something that has always fascinated me. Words are lost over time and new ones are created. And it all starts with normal people like me and you - and not-so-normal people like my grandmother. =)

So e-mail me your unique words and phrases along with a short story or explanation telling me who used it, how the word was used, what it meant (if you even know), and where it came from. You don't have to have the information in story form. We can work together to edit it into a short story you will be proud to pass down to other generations.

I REALLY look forward to hearing from you and learning some new words!

Until later,

Laura

Can a Proofreader Help Change Your Child’s Future?

The answer is – YES! Being a former English teacher, I have experience guiding children in their writing and English studies. For ALL my clients, I provide a list of “suggestions” or explanations of the changes I make to their writing. This way, clients have the opportunity to learn from the changes I make. In the same way, I can take your child’s research papers and essays, clean them up, and provide explanations as to what was “wrong.” I can also help with basic grammar and punctuation skills they may be struggling with.

I know what you are thinking - have you seen the prices for good tutors?! My prices are negotiable and I have contracts to fit any budget. Furthermore, my prices are much lower than institutions because I don’t have to pay teachers or buy supplies because we will do everything online.

 
Ensure your child begins life with the best foot forward! Contact me today for more details!

There Are Signs Everywhere that You May Need a Good Copy Editor or Proofreader!

Hi, everyone! I apologize that it has been so long since my last post. I just returned from vacation…well, sort of. Now, you know this copy editor never just stops to smell the flours flowers. I spent an amazing almost-two-weeks in South Padre Island, TX. If you’ve never been there, you should definitely go. The beach is beautiful, and if you vacation after the kids go back to school, you almost have the beach to yourself! But the best part is…I brought back something for you!

One of my favorite restaurants on Padre Island is called Blackbeard’s. I have been to Padre several times now, and I have eaten at this restaurant several times as well. However, I have never noticed the sign before (see below). I found others as well, but my husband refused to stop so I could take pictures because we were not supposed to be working. =)

Blackbeard's Restaurant, South Padre Island

 

After my return, one of my former colleagues sent me this picture of a department store sign in Tokyo. Now, of course, English is not the native language in Tokyo, so it would be even more beneficial to allow someone to check your writing before you do something so…permanent! 

"Wemen's" Outlet in Tokyo

Especially in the business world, you simply MUST put your best foot forward at all times. People — customers — will judge your business (and sometimes even intelligence) through the image you provide them. What hidden messages is your business sending to consumers? When your business documents, or—GASP!—exterior signs are full of errors, many times customers will assume you do not know what you are doing or that you just don’t care. Ensuring that all of your business documents, signs, and correspondence are correct in every way demonstrates not only intelligence, but also that you care about your business enough to take the time to make it right.

I will post more pictures as I find them. And, of course, if you find an error that you would like to share, please e-mail it to me at laurasproofs@gmail.com and I will share it with the rest of our little community.

If you own or manage a business, don’t let poor grammar or spelling be the deciding factor for your clients. Contact me to edit your business or technical documents! I have several packages available to fit any budget.

Have a glorious day!

Laura