we are generally - not always, but usually - up against tight time constraints. Pogoing a report back and forth with marked corrections/corrected prose is a luxury.Dear CapK,
Our newspaper took the approach that a two-hour meeting every other week was do-able and an English teacher came in and shredded our egos -- no, not really, -- by the simple expedient of reading some of the stuff we wrote then telling us why it was wrong and how not to do it again.
Long involved sentences : recast.
Long words : simplify.
etc. etc.
He was strong and cut to the bone but never named a name or placed blame. We all improved. What tickled the reporters most was that he presumed headlines were fair game, too. Some
red faced editors who had thought they were safe were quite taken aback.
I was so impressed I talked him into doing a savaging of my deathless prose once a month and paid for it myself. It was great! In his defense I must say my prose has deteriorated since I left the biz and no longer have available his pithy observations on my current efforts.
This any help?
wow
