Annotated Working Draft of Final Project/Hot Spots in Editing

Component Assignment:

1. Communication and Persuasion in Editing
   Editors must be able to communicate in all fields, as they are hired by just about everyone. They use both verbal and written forms to communicate with and between writers, editors, and publishers.  Persuasion is used both in helping the writer produce a rhetorically successful piece and persuading people to make changes to their work.
2. Storytelling in Editing
   I gave an example story about how an editor can work with a writer in the brainstorming process as well as creating a piece that is grammatically correct and what the publisher desires. I also explained how editors work as a liaison between the writers and publishers to produce the most successful product.
3. Editing within the History of Civilization
   In the earliest days when oral communication was the main form used, scribes were responsible for transcription and inserting grammatical elements.  Scholars have used multiple early manuscripts to compile them into one, cohesive document.  Now, with the development of printed text and technology, editing is more standardized.
4. Institutional Authority and Communication
   I discussed the Modern Language Association, an organization focused on the study of language.  Through handbooks, manuals, and annual conferences, they are able to discuss, modify, and distribute a standardized form of English, grammar, and formatting.

Hot Spots:

Hot Spot #1 (in the field):  I like the concept that editing is applicable and needed in all fields of work.  In this post, I list many things that editors have a hand in and how they have to be a jack-of-all-trades.

Hot Spot #2 (history):  I think the concept of historians compiling manuscripts to produce the most "correct" form is interesting.  For example, I talk about how all of Shakespeare's pieces were recorded and published at a later date--leaving the authenticity in the hands of gifted editors.  How does this effect the credibility of a piece?

Hot Spot #3 (authority):  English has no overarching governing organization--leaving each different field to its own rules and regulation.  Would it be a good thing to have a sanctioned law when it comes to language, such as they do in other countries (like France)?