Although years of being an editor have taught me about commas or the use of “less or fewer,” there is a lot more to editing than grammar and punctuation.

Editing is about deep listening and patience. It is about discerning the skill level of the student and tearing down the process of written expression into learnable pieces. Editing is about commitment to the writer and his or her best use of language to get across their message.

Did you ever think about how coherent writing builds trust? Or about the deep psychology of newsletters? Did you ever think about the power of the rhetorical question? I think about all of this as I edit. My style is authentic and I have an antenna for jargon.

I like to introduce the creative element to organizational or business writing. Although business leaders have come to understand that it will take an increasing level of imagination to adapt to the changing needs of the nation, there is still a definite social split between art and business. Without losing the edge of good business, in fact increasing that edge with the element of creativity, organizational writing can employ a variety of creative writing techniques and can listen to many teachers. A good editor can find ways to spark up style, inserting the creative voice into a document or a project.