Editing Editors, and Grokking Grammar

I'm currently editing/betareading a web serial for an editor friend of mine. I edit a lot of different things, from a lot of different writers, at a lot of different skill levels, so I didn't think editing an editor would be all that different.

Let me tell you, I've never had more fun editing ever in my career.

An editor knows her stuff, and she's not going to scatter the page with punctuation that may or may not fit, or get tangled up in a sentence and leave it for someone else to sort out. What needs fixing is usually just the little mistakes that everyone makes when writing, and she misses them because she's read it over too many times. I end up sailing through, trimming when needed and commenting when I have a suggestion. Most of the comments are for plotty or character things, not for silly grammatical errors. I love that. I love content editing with all of my wizened little heart. I get cranky when I have to do so much copy editing that I don't get to think about The Big Picture. When I edit this friend of mine, this is pretty much all I have to do.

I'm mentioning this because I think it's important for all writers to know that they should never stop honing their craft. I thought I was hot shit when I started training as an editor, and so did the rest of my class. We all had our asses kicked by the mathematical precision of grammar, and it was a lesson I learned well. I haven't stopped learning since, and no wordsmith should. Get some books about grammar and punctuation and read them. I'm serious. If that idea makes you feel nauseous, then you're not reading the right grammar books. Whenever I feel like my skills need polishing, I re-read one or more of these books:

Sin and Syntax by Constance Hale
The Deluxe Transitive Vampire by Karen Elizabeth Gordon
The Well-Tempered Sentence by Karen Elizabeth Gordon

Don't groan. Those books are friendly, funny, and useful. If you don't feel like reading, open your favourite browser game and listen to the Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing podcast. (Not that I've done that or anything. *shifty eyes*)

I can't tell you how amazing it is when grammar finally clicks for you and you feel like you can see the scaffolding behind everything you read or write. It's worth it, trust me.