Nicole Black

The Power of Words

Words have a representative power. When you say the word table you get a visual idea of
what a table is. The same is true when you say cat, bed, piano, bank, football, or any other object.
And when you say the word happy you know what emotion someone is talking about. The same
is once again true for angry, sad, frustrated, jealous, and surprised. Words are a representation for
something visual or emotional that we understand and recognize. Without the object that we are
trying to describe, the word would not exist. Consequently, without the word, it would be
impossible to recognize the thing. This is the importance of words. They make objects, emotions,
actions, descriptions, and other things real to us as the audience or listener. The word table
means nothing unless you have the idea of a table to go with it. This view of words makes them
both beautifully artistic and intricately scientific. Editing embraces these two aspects of words
and combines them into a balanced profession.
According to the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary, art is a skill acquired by
experience, study, or observation. By this definition alone, editing can be defined as an art. To
me the artistic side of editing is obvious. In my mind, the editor exists to help the author
eloquently convey their message. Authors write when they have something to say and it is up to
the editor to make sure it is understood. Words are one of the most functional things in the world
to me. Editing is a careful art and skill developed over time. It takes patience and practice to
understand the art behind writing and speech.
When I was in high school the ultimate power of words finally dawned on me. There are
countless numbers of words in the English language, not to mention all of the other languages in
the world. All of these words can be combined into an infinite number of sentences to accurately
Alex 11/14/12 9:21 PM
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Alex 11/14/12 9:21 PM
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Alex 11/14/12 9:53 PM
Comment [1]: Consiuei using italics with these
teims thioughout youi papei (see Chicago 7.S8)
Alex 11/14/12 8:59 PM
Deleted: the
Alex 11/14/12 9:07 PM
Deleted: seemingly
Alex 11/14/12 9:53 PM
Comment [2]: Bo you mean that it seems
obvious to you, when in ieality it is not. If not,
then uelete "seemingly."
Alex 11/14/12 9:08 PM
Deleted: said and
Alex 11/14/12 9:53 PM
Comment [3]: The authoi has alieauy saiu it
with oi without the euitoi.
Alex 11/14/12 9:10 PM
Deleted: ,
Alex 11/14/12 9:10 PM
Deleted: , and words
Alex 11/14/12 9:53 PM
Comment [4]: Wiiting anu speech alieauy
imply the use of woius. ".anu woius" just
becomes ieuunuant.
Alex 11/14/12 9:13 PM
Deleted: possibilities and
describe an emotion, an object, an action, or anything at all. The trick to making the sentence a
perfect representation of your thoughts is to choose just the right words in the right order. This is
where the author and the editor must work together. It is up to the author to decide what they will
write about and how they will do it. It is up to the editor to assist the author in making his writing
as clear as possible for his target audience. Changing the word surprised to astonished or
alarmed can completely change the tone and meaning of a sentence. Word choice is a delicate
and sometimes painstaking art.
Another way that editing is artistic is the representation of words with sound. A sentence
can look good on paper, but when it is read aloud it can become a jumbled mess. The word
choice cannot be so clunky as to make someone sound awkward. But it also can't be too elevated
to make someone sound arrogant. The editor has to find the perfect balance to keep the author's
voice and make the author respectable at the same time. Each author has their own distinct
writing style and voice. Editors help authors write effectively while maintaining the authors
unique voice. One of the easiest and most accurate ways to imitate someone is to pick up on their
distinct speech patterns and either talk or write like them. I've gotten many laughs by noticing
ways that my friends or co-workers speak and by showing others my imitations. They sometimes
wonder how I'm able to imitate someone so well. It's all in the words.
The artistic side of editing gives the editor and the author a lot of creative license with
writing. In art history, the most notable painters and sculptors have been those who have thought
outside the box to use their medium in a new and exciting way. When the author and the editor
work together, they have the power to create something new and exciting as well.
Ive often told people that I like editing because its like math but with words. I enjoyed
the structure that math had to offer me, the constant values in numbers, and the formulaic
Alex 11/14/12 9:53 PM
Comment [5]: Repiesentation of what.
Consiuei: ".iepiesentation of youi thoughts is to
choose."
Alex 11/14/12 9:16 PM
Deleted: choosing
Alex 11/14/12 9:18 PM
Deleted: It is up to the editor as the primary
audience to assist the author in any revisions to more
clearly understand the point.
Alex 11/14/12 9:20 PM
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Alex 11/14/12 9:20 PM
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Alex 11/14/12 9:20 PM
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Alex 11/14/12 9:26 PM
Deleted: sound for words.
Alex 11/14/12 9:53 PM
Comment [6]: I'm not suie I unueistanu what
you mean by this. Naybe tiy to claiify youi point.
Alex 11/14/12 9:32 PM
Deleted: With the help of an editor, this voice can
be most effective.
procedure for completing an equation. But after a certain point I realized that numbers, as
beautiful as they are, are also too limiting. When I realized the precision behind placing a comma
in a particular spot, the care that goes into choosing a dash instead of parentheses, and the
patience in reading an entire text and picking through it for the slightest of spelling errors, I knew
that editing was for me.
Just as two and two always make four, a sentence always ends with punctuation. Just as
Newton, Copernicus, and Pascal perfected their equations in their particular fields, Webster and
Strunk and White worked hard to give a guide for the mastering of words. The books on the
subject of editing act as guidelines for editors in their work. Without these books there would be
no uniform style to editing. Merriam-Webster defines science as a department of systematized
knowledge as an object of study. The Chicago Manual of Style, books on Global English, and
usage dictionaries make editing a systematized and organized field.
We recognize many famous mathematicians and scientists because of the astounding
discoveries they made. The authors of style guides have done something similar for the editing
field. They have taken conventions of grammar, spelling, and usage and chosen what is
important and what isnt. If not for these books it would still be atrocious to split infinitives and
end sentences with a preposition. While these rules are sometimes still relevant, there is no need
to strictly follow them anymore.
Words sometimes have very specific rules and conventions to keep the meaning and
representation clear to the audience. You cannot say I dropped my book in the table unless the
table has a hole in it. Its much more common to say I dropped my book on the table because
prepositions can convey the area around an object. You cannot write the sentence Im going to
work? unless you wish to question your co-worker if you have been fired from your job and if it
Alex 11/14/12 9:35 PM
Deleted: this
Alex 11/14/12 9:35 PM
Deleted: s
Alex 11/14/12 9:36 PM
Deleted: and
Alex 11/14/12 9:39 PM
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Alex 11/14/12 9:42 PM
Deleted: The most famous mathematicians and
scientists would not be recognized if they hadnt
made astounding new discoveries and paved the way
for others.
is really necessary for you to show up that day. However, to question this you could not write
Im going to work! because that would enforce your arrival at work and insistence that you
will get paid for your labor that day. The conventions of grammar make sentences clearer but
they can also be manipulated to make writing more interesting and challenge the reader to see
something the same way the writer sees it.
There is a specific formula for writing sentences in each language. In English, it is most
common and simple to say the subject, then the action, and then the object if there is one. When
something is being describe the adjective goes before the noun. You could say Book dropped
table and hope that people would understand what you are trying to say. You could also state
Table the dropped I book my and maybe someone would get the idea of what youre saying.
But the most effective way to say something is by following the rules that have been set in each
language.
To me, the most interesting fields and topics are those that marry the ideas of science and
art. When these two aspects are combined it can give the idea a more universal audience. Art is a
free form with a lot of room to grow and breathe. Science covers such a wide area and has
guidelines to follow and obey. These two aspects make for a field with structure and freedom. I
love editing and being able to hear an authors opinion and voice. But I also love being able to
help them understand some basic universal rules that will help their writing become
clear.Communication is key. The art of words makes the communication interesting and the
science of words makes the communication accessible.


Alex 11/14/12 9:48 PM
Deleted: eh
Alex 11/14/12 9:53 PM
Comment [7]: Tiy iewoiuing.
Alex 11/14/12 9:51 PM
Deleted: more understanding.
Alex 11/14/12 9:53 PM
Comment [8]: "ait" anu "science" aie the
subjects heie.