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The torment of editing

Apr 02, 2014 Letters

Dear Editor,
I met someone who was a bit disturbed at the way his letter to a newspaper was edited. “They seh wha I seh yes, but ah don’t like how deh put it” he said a bit scornfully, obviously displeased.
Like it or not, editing is a must; it is part and parcel of the writing trade. I remember a certain doctor being so highly annoyed at the way his letter was mangled that he promised never again to deal with that publication. He said had it not been for his name printed below he would have had much difficulty identifying with it.
One of the most annoying things one can experience is reading an article with your name attached as the author and feeling lost, not having the same sensation or the passion as when you first penned it: omissions and newness of arrangements of words-and I’m not saying that it is not at times helpful-but it sure causes some discomfort when it doesn’t fit on and convey what you (the writer) had in mind; when after reading it “yuh suck yuh teeth”- don’t like it and not sure whether you are pleased with it being published or not.
From my little comprehension, editing among other things ought to allow for the refining of one’s contribution like the pruning of a plant-no fight here. Edit as much as is required but try not to strip the plant/material of all its flowers, its expression of radiance leaving it listless.
Remember this is not straight forward reportage, so it is not always a simple question of correction, prolixity, libel etc. sifting and collecting basic points; the gist of the text so that nothing else matters, every other thing irrelevant rendering the article kind of cut and dried. Why should that be, there are times when one’s language is couched in a particular way for a reason and not merely playing around. Many times you struggle for a type of effect you desire for the reader to grasp; sometimes in a funny way, other times a serious way, to create an impression on his/her mind-wanting them to picture things through your mind’s eyes–forcing your thoughts into them if you like; to see the point and beyond in all its nuances, even a repetition as you would know, at times is for effect and not a mistake. Fact is, you just don’t always just state the point!
Frank Fyffe

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